Pardon

/ˈpɑːrdən/

Meaning & Definition

noun

An act of forgiving someone for an offense or the formal release from punishment.

He received a pardon after serving ten years in prison.

The state of being forgiven or excused.

She hoped for a pardon from her friends after her mistake.

verb

To release from the penalty of an offense; to forgive or excuse a wrongdoing.

The governor decided to pardon the wrongly convicted man.

To excuse someone for something they have done or said, often used in polite conversation.

Please pardon my interruption during your speech.

Middle English, from Old French 'pardoner', from Latin 'pardonare', meaning 'to grant freely, to forgive'.

pardon my French

A humorous expression used when one has used bad language.

pardon the interruption

A phrase used when interrupting someone, often to ask a question.

you are pardoned

An acknowledgment or formal forgiveness, often used in a humorous context.

forgive

To stop feeling angry or resentful towards someone for an offense or mistake.

excuse

To overlook or forgive a fault.

release

To free from captivity or obligation.

My bad

I didn't mean to bump into you, my bad!

No worries

Sorry for being late. No worries, you’re forgiven!