# condone

/kənˈdoʊn/ (US) · /kəndˈəʊn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/condone
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. to accept or overlook

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to accept or allow behavior that is wrong, or to treat it as if it is not a problem.

For teachers: 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.

Usage: This verb is transitive and always takes a direct object, usually an abstract noun representing a negative behavior.

### 2. legal/marital forgiveness

verb · CEFR C2 · Formal · Technical

to forgive a partner for doing something wrong in a marriage, like being unfaithful.

For teachers: 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.

- 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.

Teaching tip: This sense is highly specialized and mostly found in older legal texts or formal discussions of family law.

## Examples

- The school does not condone bullying of any kind.
- By remaining silent during the meeting, the manager seemed to condone the aggressive behavior of his staff.
- While the government officially denounced the violence, critics argued that the lack of subsequent arrests suggested they were willing to condone such actions to maintain political stability.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.