pardon

v. forgive; absolve; grant clemency

n. forgiveness; absolution; clemency

A pardon is the forgiveness of a crime and the penalty associated with it. It is granted by a sovereign power, such as a monarch or chief of state or a competent church authority. Clemency is an associated term, meaning the lessening of the penalty of the crime without forgiving the crime itself. The act of clemency is a reprieve. Today, pardons and reprieves are granted in many countries when individuals have demonstrated that they have fulfilled their debt to society, or are otherwise deserving (in the opinion of the pardoning official) of a pardon or reprieve. Pardons are sometimes offered to persons who, it is claimed, have been wrongfully convicted. However, accepting such a pardon implicitly constitutes an admission of guilt, so in some cases the offer is refused.
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Noun
1. the act of excusing a mistake or offense
(synonym) forgiveness
(hypernym) kindness, benignity
(hyponym) condonation
(derivation) excuse
2. a warrant granting release from punishment for an offense
(synonym) amnesty
(hypernym) warrant
(classification) law, jurisprudence
3. the formal act of liberating someone
(synonym) amnesty, free pardon
(hypernym) clemency, mercifulness, mercy
(classification) law, jurisprudence
Verb
1. accept an excuse for; "Please excuse my dirty hands"
(synonym) excuse
(hypernym) forgive
(derivation) forgiveness
2. grant a pardon to; "Ford pardoned Nixon"; "The Thanksgiving turkey was pardoned by the President"
(hypernym) forgive
(hyponym) amnesty
(derivation) amnesty, free pardon
(classification) law, jurisprudence

n. pardon, forgiveness; absolution; clemency

interj. pardon me, forgive me; sorry

interj. sorry

n. forgiveness, pardon, absolution