Word
condone
Phoneticscon·done, stress on the second syllable
US/kənˈdoʊn/
UK/kəndˈəʊn/
Definitions
01to accept or overlook
C1 · Advanced Formal
v. to accept or allow behavior that is wrong, or to treat it as if it is not a problem.
v. to overlook or disregard an offense, thereby implying acceptance or forgiveness of the behavior.
“The company does not condone any form of cheating in the workplace.”
“While the director claimed to value integrity, his failure to discipline the staff suggested he was willing to condone their unethical practices.”
02legal/marital forgiveness
C2 · Proficiency Law Formal · Technical
v. to forgive a partner for doing something wrong in a marriage, like being unfaithful.
v. to forgive or overlook a marital offense, such as adultery, often in a way that prevents it from being used as a legal ground for divorce.
Español:condonar
“By staying in the house, he was seen to condone his wife's actions.”
“In some jurisdictions, if a spouse continues to live with the offender after learning of the infidelity, they may be said to condone the act.”
Usage
The verb is transitive and takes a direct object, usually an action or a type of behavior.
Pitfall
I do not condone to cheating.
I do not condone cheating.
Condone is a transitive verb and should be followed directly by a noun or gerund, not a prepositional phrase starting with 'to'.
Real-World Examples
“The inquiry has found no evidence of national policies condoning their blanket application.” Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin condōnāre (“to forgive”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/condone
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0