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
Ocalan and other key PKK figures are excluded from the pardon. — Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026 The president has also drawn scrutiny for issuing pardons to people who have publicly supported him or have business ties to him, but his pardon power is separate from the DOJ. — Alison Durkee, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Verb
His father Charles was pardoned by Trump in 2020 over a 2005 conviction on federal tax evasion charges. — Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026 After losing his reelection bid to Bill Clinton in 1992, Bush issued Christmas Eve pardons to six Reagan administration officials convicted of or facing trials for crimes related to Iran-Contra. — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Aug. 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
  • Instead of anger, she’s leaned heavily on her faith to choose forgiveness.
    — Jacob Sisneros, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Along with this came the profound dread that straight white men (like me) felt about saying a single wrong sentence and facing the possibility of permanent exile without forgiveness.
    — Charles Finch, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of forgiveness
Verb
  • Those visitors might have been forgiven for wondering what a building that looked like the Starship Enterprise had to do with national self-determination.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Any remaining eligible balance may be forgiven after 25 years of qualifying payments.
    — Maya Benjamin,Dan Avery, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of forgive
Verb
  • Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has denied accusations that the government ignored warnings about an impending mass border crossing from Morocco to the enclave of Ceuta.
    — Jack Guy, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The numbers are impossible to ignore, while Boteli’s bustling physical profile — two-footed, quick, and comfortable through the middle or out wide — means that a move to Europe’s top five leagues will soon be on the cards.
    — Thom Harris, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of ignore
Noun
  • If a salary cap and floor are instituted, they could be phased in over a few years and could include amnesty provisions that allow teams to get out of one onerous contract that would otherwise count against the cap, etc.
    — Tim Britton, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Trash pickup this week is following the normal schedule, with the exception that each day is a free amnesty day for bulk pickup to help out people who have had to throw out food that couldn’t be kept refrigerated or frozen.
    — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of amnesty
Verb
  • Travel gear deals While the bigger-ticket Labor Day weekend deals come in the form of flights and hotels, don't overlook retail sales.
    — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Many of the 76 rooms and suites include private terraces overlooking Gran Via with the upper floor rooms facing the ornate gold dome of the Metropolis, one of Madrid’s most famous buildings.
    — Eddi Fiegel, Robb Report, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of overlook
Verb
  • The jury requested to be excused for the day hours after telling Judge William Sullivan that it was deadlocked and could not reach a unanimous decision.
    — Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 1 Sep. 2026
  • As Korean growth picks up, President Lee Jae Myung could be excused for thinking his job as an economic reformer is done.
    — William Pesek, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 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 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on pardon

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pardon

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

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

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
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
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All