pardon
n. · v. · interj.-
1 general forgiveness (n.) B2 Upper Intermediatethe act of forgiving someone for a mistake or for bad behaviour.
the act of excusing a mistake, discourtesy, or minor offence in a social context.
ExampleI beg your pardon for being so late to the dinner party.
ExampleHe sought her pardon for the insensitive remarks he had made during the heated debate the previous evening.
-
2 to forgive (v.) B2 Upper Intermediate Formalto officially or formally forgive someone for a crime or a mistake.
to grant a formal remission of a penalty or to excuse a social transgression.
ExampleThe president decided to pardon the prisoner after new evidence was found.
ExampleThe governor was pressured to pardon the activist, whose imprisonment was seen by many as a violation of civil liberties.
Show 1 more senseShow fewer
-
3 asking to repeat (interj.) A2 Elementarya polite way to say 'What?' when you did not hear or understand something.
a formulaic expression used to request that a speaker repeat their previous statement due to a lack of comprehension or audibility.
ExamplePardon? I didn't catch that last part because of the noise.
ExamplePardon? Could you please clarify the third point of the proposal, as the connection was momentarily unstable?
From Middle English pardonen, from Old French pardoner (modern French pardonner), from Late Latin perdonare, from per- + donare, possibly a calque (if not vice-versa) of a Germanic word represented by Frankish firgeban (“to forgive, give up completely”), from fir- + *geban. Akin to Old High German fargeban, firgeban (“to forgive”), Old English forġiefan (“to forgive”). More at forgive.