pardon 1 of 2

noun

ˈpär-dᵊn How to pronounce pardon (audio)
Definition of pardonnext
as in forgiveness
release from the guilt or penalty of an offense the criminal is hoping for a presidential pardon

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

pardon

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to forgive
to cease to have feelings of anger or bitterness toward he eventually pardoned his sister after she apologized

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to ignore
to dismiss as of little importance I'm willing to pardon a little sloppiness of dress in such a kind and loving person

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb pardon differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of pardon are condone, excuse, and forgive. While all these words mean "to exact neither punishment nor redress," pardon implies that one remits a penalty due for an admitted or established offense.

pardon a criminal

When is condone a more appropriate choice than pardon?

In some situations, the words condone and pardon are roughly equivalent. However, condone implies that one overlooks without censure behavior (such as dishonesty or violence) that involves a serious breach of a moral, ethical, or legal code, and the term may refer to the behavior or to the agent responsible for it.

a society that condones alcohol but not narcotics

When might excuse be a better fit than pardon?

The words excuse and pardon are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, excuse may refer to specific acts especially in social or conventional situations or the person responsible for these. Often the term implies extenuating circumstances.

excuse an interruption
excused them for interrupting
injustice excuses strong responses

When can forgive be used instead of pardon?

The synonyms forgive and pardon are sometimes interchangeable, but forgive implies that one gives up all claim to requital and to resentment or vengeful feelings.

could not forgive their rudeness

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pardon
Noun
He was released after seven months and received a presidential pardon in 2008. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Oct. 2026 Attorneys for Rivera plan to appeal and in June applied for a presidential pardon. — Joshua Goodman, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
His pledge to pardon Jair if elected has turned the former president's legal fate into a campaign issue — and raised broader questions about the consequences of a Bolsonaro return to power for Brazil's democratic institutions. — Catherine Osborn, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026 Trump has pardoned or given commutations to at least 44 recipients within a year of their sentences who together account for over $270 million in financial obligations. — Caren Morrison, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pardon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pardon
  1. forgiveness
  2. forgive
  3. ignore
  4. amnesty
  5. overlook
  6. excuse
Noun
  • Later in life, Schwam created Humanity 101, an initiative of Arizona State University’s Project Humanities, promoting the values of compassion, empathy, forgiveness, integrity, kindness, respect and self-reflection.
    — Pat Saperstein, Variety, 17 Oct. 2026
  • But as the movie awkwardly pivots to weighty themes like forgiveness, honor and grief, the initial sparks of subversiveness fizzle out.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of forgiveness
Verb
  • Season one struggled to incorporate all of those elements of Lee without either forgiving or betraying his flaws.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The technique is simple, the result is visible and the cut list is forgiving.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of forgive
Verb
  • There is so much going on in all of our lives but far too much beauty in this world to ignore.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Many structures are built with substandard materials and safety regulations are frequently ignored to reduce costs.
    — Riaz Khan, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of ignore
Noun
  • Today's Republican party should take a page from their old playbook and support an amnesty program that would bring millions of undocumented immigrants out of the shadows.
    — WCCO Staff, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Jair Bolsonaro is imprisoned in connection with this case, while his son has pledged to grant him amnesty as his first act in office.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of amnesty
Verb
  • No little detail is overlooked, from interesting on-site activities (like watercolor painting in the courtyard) to immaculate turndown service.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The world may be overlooking its next important medical discovery.
    — Segun Fatumo, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of overlook
Verb
  • And while the challenges of the job don’t excuse the criminal actions, researchers and legal experts said, those experiences can often contribute to their behavioral issues.
    — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Every so often, Singh would excuse himself to the bathroom and jot down Pattinson’s ideas.
    — Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of excuse

Browse Nearby Words

parchments
pardon
pardonable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pardon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pardon. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on pardon

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pardon

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All