Remit (r-mt), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Remitted; p. pr. & vb. n. Remitting.]
Etymology: [L. remittere, remissum, to send back, to slacken, relax; pref. re- re- + mittere to send. See Mission, and cf. Remise, Remiss.]
1. To send back; to give up; to surrender; to resign. In the case the law remits him to his ancient and more certain right. Blackstone. In grevious and inhuman crimes, offenders should be remitted to their prince. Hayward. The prisoner was remitted to the guard. Dryden.
2. To restore. [Obs.] The archbishop was . . . remitted to his liberty. Hayward.
3. (Com.)
To transmit or send, esp. to a distance, as money in payment of a demand, account, draft, etc.; as, he remitted the amount by mail.
5 more senses
4. To send off or away; hence: (a) To refer or direct (one) for information, guidance, help, etc. "Remitting them . . . to the works of Galen." Sir T. Elyot. (b) To submit, refer, or leave (something) for judgment or decision. "Whether the counsel be good Iremit it to the wise readers." Sir T. Elyot.
5. To relax in intensity; to make less violent; to abate. So willingly doth God remit his ire. Milton.
6. To forgive; to pardon; to remove. Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them. John xx. 23.
7. To refrain from exacting or enforcing; as, to remit the performance of an obligation. "The sovereign was undoubtedly competent to remit penalties." Macaulay.
Syn. -- To relax; release; abate; relinguish; forgive; pardon; absolve.
1 other Webster entry under this spelling
Remit, v. i.
1. To abate in force or in violence; to grow less intense; to become moderated; to abate; to relax; as, a fever remits; the severity of the weather remits.
2. To send money, as in payment. Addison.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for remit; he lists it under pardon.
Where he writes about it:
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. — from pardon