WordValepardon
official forgiveness canceling punishment for a crime
In more detail
1. (verb) to forgive someone for something they did wrong
2. (verb) to officially release someone from punishment for a crime
3. (noun) an official act of forgiving a crime
4. (interjection) used to ask someone to repeat what they said, or to politely apologize for interrupting
Examples
- 1. I hope you can pardon my mistake.
- 2. The governor decided to pardon the prisoner after new evidence emerged.
- 3. The criminal received a pardon from the president.
How to use pardon
As a verb, 'pardon' is more formal than 'forgive' and typically involves either absolving someone of guilt or an official legal act of remission. As an interjection, it is a polite way to ask for repetition or to apologize for rudeness, common in British English. The phrase 'pardon me' is more formal than 'sorry' or 'excuse me' in American English.
Common phrases
- pardon my French
- beg your pardon
- pardon the interruption
- pardon my saying so
- a presidential pardon
Synonyms
forgive · excuse · overlook · absolve · remit
Opposites
punish · condemn
Word family
pardonable · unpardonable · pardoner
A common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse 'pardon' as an interjection with 'pardon me' as a complete phrase; saying just 'pardon?' can sound slightly abrupt or affected depending on context.
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