Word
reprieve
Phoneticsre·prieve, stress on the second syllable
US/ɹiˈpɹiv/
UK/ɹɪpɹˈiːv/
Definitions
01delay of punishment
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Law Formal
n. an official order that stops or delays a punishment, especially for a prisoner.
n. the formal postponement or cancellation of a legal punishment, particularly a death sentence.
“The prisoner was granted a last-minute reprieve while new evidence was being checked.”
“The governor signed a thirty-day reprieve for the inmate, allowing the legal team sufficient time to file a final appeal based on DNA evidence.”
Antonyms
02to delay a punishment
C1 · Advanced Law Formal
v. to officially stop or delay a punishment for a period of time.
v. to cancel or postpone the punishment of someone, especially a sentence of death.
“The king decided to reprieve the prisoner at the very last second.”
“Although the court initially refused to intervene, the president exercised his power to reprieve the defendant pending further investigation.”
Real-World Examples
“As the long school summer break approached its mid-point recently, Margate beach was crowded with families enjoying the brief reprieve between the year’s fourth and fifth heatwaves.” “The school received a temporary reprieve last month, when the governing body announced an end to plans to “amalgamate” Soho Parish with another Church of England school nearly a mile away in Fitzrovia.” Etymology
First use appears c. 1513 in the writings of Robert Fabyan. In the sense of “to take back to prison”, from Middle English repryen (“to remand, detain”) (1494), possibly from Middle French repris, in the form of reprendre (“take back”); a cognate to reprise. The sense has become generalized, but does retain connotations of punishment and execution. The noun's first use appears c. 1592.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- 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 C1.945–990EikenEikenTest in Practical English ProficiencyThe English proficiency test from the Eiken Foundation of Japan, widely taken by Japanese students. Grades run from 5 to 1, with Pre-1 and Pre-2 between them.Grade 1
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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