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
(Par"don), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pardoned ; p. pr. & vb. n. Pardoning.] [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. xv. 25.
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.
Syn. To forgive; absolve; excuse; overlook; remit; acquit. See Excuse.
Pardonable
(Par"don*a*ble) a. [Cf. F. pardonnable.] Admitting of pardon; not requiring the excution of
penalty; venial; excusable; applied to the offense or to the offender; as, a pardonable fault, or culprit.
Pardonableness
(Par"don*a*ble*ness), n. The quality or state of being pardonable; as, the pardonableness
of sin. Bp. Hall.
Pardonably
(Par"don*a*bly), adv. In a manner admitting of pardon; excusably. Dryden.
Pardoner
(Par"don*er) n.
1. One who pardons. Shak.
2. A seller of indulgences. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Pardoning
(Par"don*ing), a. Relating to pardon; having or exercising the right to pardon; willing to pardon; merciful; as,
the pardoning power; a pardoning God.