2
: the excusing of an offense without exacting a penalty
offered a pardon to the draft evader
3
a
: a release from the legal penalties of an offense
b
: an official warrant of remission of penalty
a royal pardon later released him from a death sentence—
American Guide Series: Maryland
American Guide Series: Maryland4
: excuse or forgiveness for a fault, offense, or discourtesy
I beg your pardon
She asked my pardon for taking up so much of my time.
pardoned; pardoning
ˈpärd-niŋ 
ˈpär-dᵊn-iŋ
Examples of pardon in a Sentence
Noun
The governor granted him a pardon.
He asked my pardon for taking so much of my time.
Verb
he eventually pardoned his sister after she apologized
I'm willing to pardon a little sloppiness of dress in such a kind and loving person.
Recent Examples on the Web
Joey Garrison, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025
Grant told me in an interview that there is a need for new initiatives such as the Federal Expungement Initiative, the Right to Banking campaign, and the development of state-by-state pardon and expungement guides.
—Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Darya Tarasova, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
In the end, Frizer was found to have acted in self-defense and officially pardoned by the Queen.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pardon
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
The Justice Department is examining pardons issued by Biden in the final days of his presidency, and a separate investigation by the House Oversight Committee into the former president’s cognitive health and use of autopen is also underway.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025
Grant told me in an interview that there is a need for new initiatives such as the Federal Expungement Initiative, the Right to Banking campaign, and the development of state-by-state pardon and expungement guides.
—Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
Polish state media also reported that Polish nationals have been pardoned.
—Darya Tarasova, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
In the end, Frizer was found to have acted in self-defense and officially pardoned by the Queen.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pardon
Cite this Entry
“Pardon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pardon. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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