verb
Pardon, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pardoned; p. pr. & vb. n. Pardoning.]
Etymology: [Either fr. pardon, n., or from F. pardonner, LL. perdonare; L. per through, thoroughly, perfectly + donare to give, to present. See Par-, and Donation.]
1. To absolve from the consequences of a fault or the punishment of crime; to free from penalty; -- applied to the offender. In this thing the Lord pardon thy servant. 2 Kings v. 18. I pray you, pardon me; pray heartily, pardom me. Shak.
2. To remit the penalty of; to suffer to pass without punishment; to forgive; -- applied to offenses. I pray thee, pardon my sin. 1 S Apollo, pardon My great profaneness 'gainst thine oracle Shak.
3. To refrain from exacting as a penalty. I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it. Shak.
4. To give leave (of departure) to. [Obs.] Even now about it! I will pardon you. Shak. Pardon me, forgive me; excuse me; -- a phrase used also to express courteous denial or contradiction.
1 more senses
Syn. -- To forgive; absolve; excuse; overlook; remit; asquit. See Excuse.
2 other Webster entries under this spelling
Pardon, n.
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. 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.
Pardon
Syn: remission.
-- 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.
Shades of meaning
To pardon is to let pass, as a fault or sin, without resentment, blame, or punishment. Forgive has reference to feelings, pardon to consequences; hence, the executive may pardon, but has nothing to do officially with forgiving. Personal injury may be forgiven by the person wronged; thus, God at once forgives and pardons; the pardoned sinner is exempt from punishment; the forgiven sinner is restored to the divine favor. To pardon is the act of a superior, implying the right to punish; to forgive is the privilege of the humblest person who has been wronged or offended. In law, to remit the whole penalty is equivalent to pardoning the offender; but a part of a penalty may be remitted and the remainder inflicted, as where the penalty includes both fine and imprisonment. To condone is to put aside a recognized offense by some act which restores the offender to forfeited right or privilege, and is the act of a private individual, without legal formalities. To excuse is to overlook some slight offense, error, or breach of etiquette; pardon is often used by courtesy in nearly the same sense. A person may speak of excusing or forgiving himself, but not of pardoning himself. Compare absolve; pardon, n.