Word
pardon
Phoneticspar·don, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈpɑɹdən/
UK/pˈɑːdən/
Definitions
01asking to repeat
A2 · Elementary
interj. a polite way to ask someone to repeat what they just said because you did not hear it.
interj. a formulaic expression used to request the repetition of an utterance that was not heard or understood.
“Pardon? I didn't catch that last part about the meeting time.”
“Pardon? The acoustics in this hall are quite poor, and I missed the second half of your question regarding the budget.”
02legal forgiveness
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Law Formal
n. an official decision to allow a person who has been found guilty of a crime to leave prison and not be punished.
n. a warrant or executive order releasing a convicted individual from the legal consequences of a specific crime.
“The president granted a pardon to the prisoner after new evidence was found.”
“The outgoing governor issued a series of controversial pardons during his final week in office, sparking a heated debate about executive overreach.”
Antonyms
03to forgive
B1 · Intermediate
v. to forgive someone for something they have said or done, especially a small mistake.
v. to excuse or forgive a person for a minor social transgression or a specific offence.
Español:perdonar
“Please pardon me for being late; the traffic was much worse than I expected.”
“You must pardon my interruption, but there is a matter of some urgency that requires your immediate attention before the session concludes.”
04to officially excuse a crime
B2 · Upper Intermediate Law Formal
v. to officially allow someone who has committed a crime to go free without punishment.
v. to grant an official discharge from the legal penalties associated with a criminal conviction.
“The king decided to pardon the rebels to help bring peace to the country.”
“The tribunal eventually decided to pardon the whistleblowers, acknowledging that their actions, while technically illegal, served the greater public interest.”
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“He served more than six years before being released under a royal pardon.” Etymology
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
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.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL 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: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/pardon
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0