kind indulgence, as in forgiveness of an offense or discourtesy or in tolerance of a distraction or inconvenience: I beg your pardon, but which way is Spruce Street?
2.
Law.
a.
a release from the penalty of an offense; a remission of penalty, as by a governor.
b.
the document by which such remission is declared.
3.
forgiveness of a serious offense or offender.
4.
Obsolete. a papal indulgence.
–verb (used with object)
5.
to make courteous allowance for or to excuse: Pardon me, madam.
6.
to release (a person) from liability for an offense.
7.
to remit the penalty of (an offense): The governor will not pardon your crime.
–interjection
8.
(used, with rising inflection, as an elliptical form of I beg your pardon, as when asking a speaker to repeat something not clearly heard or understood.)
[Origin: 1250–1300; ME (n. and v.) < OF pardon (n.) remission, indulgence, n. deriv. of pardoner (v.) < ML perdōnāre to remit, overlook, lit., to forgive, equiv. to L per-for-(see per-) + dōnāre to give; see donate; ML v. perh. a trans. from Gmc]
—Related forms
par·don·a·ble, adjective
par·don·a·ble·ness, noun
par·don·a·bly, adverb
par·don·less, adjective
—Synonyms 3. absolution, remission. Pardon,amnesty,reprieve are nouns referring to the cancellation, or delay with the possibility of eventual cancellation, of a punishment or penalty assigned for the violation of a military regulation or a civil law; absolution from guilt is not implied, merely a remission of the penalty. A pardon is granted to an individual, often by the action of a government official such as a governor, president, or monarch, and releases the individual from any punishment due for the infraction of the law, as a death sentence, prison term, or fine: to be released from prison with a full pardon. An amnesty is a pardon granted to a group of persons for past offenses against a government; it often includes an assurance of no future prosecution: to grant amnesty to political prisoners; an amnesty period for delinquent taxpayers during which no penalties are assessed. A reprieve is a delay of impending punishment, especially a death sentence; it does not cancel or remit the punishment, it simply delays it, usually for a specific period of time or until a decision can be arrived at as to the possibility of pardon or reduction of sentence: a last-minute reprieve, allowing the filing of an appeal to the Supreme Court. 6. acquit, clear. See excuse.7. forgive, absolve, condone, overlook.
To release (a person) from punishment; exempt from penalty: a convicted criminal who was pardoned by the governor.
To let (an offense) pass without punishment.
To make courteous allowance for; excuse: Pardon me, I'm in a hurry. See Synonyms at forgive.
n.
The act of pardoning.
Law
Exemption of a convicted person from the penalties of an offense or crime by the power of the executor of the laws.
An official document or warrant declaring such an exemption.
Allowance or forgiveness for an offense or a discourtesy: begged the host's pardon for leaving early.
Roman Catholic Church An indulgence.
[Middle English pardonen, from Old French pardoner, from Vulgar Latin *perdōnāre, to give wholeheartedly : Latin per-, intensive pref.; see per- + Latin dōnāre, to present, forgive (from dōnum, gift; see dō- in Indo-European roots).]
c.1290, "papal indulgence," from O.Fr. pardonner "to grant, forgive," from V.L. *perdonare "to give wholeheartedly, to remit," from L. per- "through, thoroughly" + donare "give, present." Meaning "passing over an offense without punishment is from c.1300; strictly legal sense is from 1328, in Anglo-Fr. Weaker sense of "excuse for a minor fault" is attested from 1548. The verb is first recorded c.1430.
" 'I grant you pardon,' said Louis XV to Charolais, who, to divert himself, had just killed a man; 'but I also pardon whoever will kill you.' " [de Sade]
Pardon my French as exclamation of apology for obscene language is from 1895. A pardoner (1362) was a man licensed to sell papal pardons or indulgences.
Main Entry: par·don Function: noun 1: a release from the legal penalties of an offense 2: an official warrant of remission of penalty as an
act of clemency —compare COMMUTE 3: excuse or forgiveness for a fault or offense —pardontransitive verb
Pardon\, remission \remission\ Usage: Forgiveness, Pardon. Forgiveness is Anglo-Saxon, and pardon Norman French, both implying a giving back. The word pardon, being early used in our Bible, has, in religious matters, the same sense as forgiveness; but in the language of common life there is a difference between them, such as we often find between corresponding Anglo-Saxon and Norman words. Forgive points to inward feeling, and suppose alienated affection; when we ask forgiveness, we primarily seek the removal of anger. Pardon looks more to outward things or consequences, and is often applied to trifling matters, as when we beg pardon for interrupting a man, or for jostling him in a crowd. The civil magistrate also grants a pardon, and not forgiveness. The two words are, therefore, very clearly distinguished from each other in most cases which relate to the common concerns of life. Forgiver \For*giv"er\, n. One who forgives. --Johnson.
Pardon\, remission \remission\ Usage: Forgiveness, Pardon. Forgiveness is Anglo-Saxon, and pardon Norman French, both implying a giving back. The word pardon, being early used in our Bible, has, in religious matters, the same sense as forgiveness; but in the language of common life there is a difference between them, such as we often find between corresponding Anglo-Saxon and Norman words. Forgive points to inward feeling, and suppose alienated affection; when we ask forgiveness, we primarily seek the removal of anger. Pardon looks more to outward things or consequences, and is often applied to trifling matters, as when we beg pardon for interrupting a man, or for jostling him in a crowd. The civil magistrate also grants a pardon, and not forgiveness. The two words are, therefore, very clearly distinguished from each other in most cases which relate to the common concerns of life. Forgiver \For*giv"er\, n. One who forgives. --Johnson.
Par"don\, n. [F., fr. pardonner to pardon. See Pardon, v. t.]1. The act of pardoning; forgiveness, as of an offender, or of an offense; release from penalty; remission of punishment; absolution. Pardon, my lord, for me and for my tidings. --Shak. But infinite in pardon was my judge. --Milton. Usage: Used in expressing courteous denial or contradiction; as, I crave your pardon; or in indicating that one has not understood another; as, I beg pardon. 2. An official warrant of remission of penalty. Sign me a present pardon for my brother. --Shak. 3. The state of being forgiven. --South. 4. (Law) A release, by a sovereign, or officer having jurisdiction, from the penalties of an offense, being distinguished from amenesty, which is a general obliteration and canceling of a particular line of past offenses. Syn: Forgiveness; remission. See Forgiveness.
the forgiveness of sins granted freely (Isa. 43:25), readily (Neh. 9:17; Ps. 86:5), abundantly (Isa. 55:7; Rom. 5:20). Pardon is an act of a sovereign, in pure sovereignty, granting simply a remission of the penalty due to sin, but securing neither honour nor reward to the pardoned. Justification (q.v.), on the other hand, is the act of a judge, and not of a sovereign, and includes pardon and, at the same time, a title to all the rewards and blessings promised in the covenant of life.
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