Definition of condonenext

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb condone differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of condone are excuse, forgive, and pardon. While all these words mean "to exact neither punishment nor redress," condone implies that one overlooks without censure behavior (such as dishonesty or violence) that involves a serious breach of a moral, ethical, or legal code, and the term may refer to the behavior or to the agent responsible for it.

a society that condones alcohol but not narcotics

When would excuse be a good substitute for condone?

The words excuse and condone are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, excuse may refer to specific acts especially in social or conventional situations or the person responsible for these. Often the term implies extenuating circumstances.

excuse an interruption
excused them for interrupting
injustice excuses strong responses

When is forgive a more appropriate choice than condone?

Although the words forgive and condone have much in common, forgive implies that one gives up all claim to requital and to resentment or vengeful feelings.

could not forgive their rudeness

When can pardon be used instead of condone?

The synonyms pardon and condone are sometimes interchangeable, but pardon implies that one remits a penalty due for an admitted or established offense.

pardon a criminal

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of condone Yeager said in the email that the district does not condone violence of any kind, and that any unlawful activity on school grounds will be referred to law enforcement. Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2026 Simply put, because Americans don’t condone unconstitutional behavior from law enforcement officials, and local law enforcement officials shouldn’t either. Tom Zirpoli, Baltimore Sun, 3 Mar. 2026 However, when an organisation like BAFTA, with its own long history of systemic racism, refuses to acknowledge the harm inflicted on both the Black and disabled communities and offer an appropriate apology, remaining involved would be tantamount to condoning its behaviour. Alex Ritman, Variety, 24 Feb. 2026 The report also accuses each campus of hosting speakers who condoned Hamas and called Israel illegitimate without any events that were pro-Israel. Lexi Lonas Cochran, The Hill, 12 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for condone
Recent Examples of Synonyms for condone
Verb
  • This is a youngster in great form and proving hard to ignore.
    Simon Johnson, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Some Democrats argue that the cost of ignoring young male voters is higher than the risk of association with Piker.
    Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Women who report abuse are too often told to forgive, submit, or stay silent.
    Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 29 Mar. 2026
  • Not forgive, not empathize, just listen with an open mind.
    Liana Finck, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Camouflaged in a valley speckled with just a handful of villas and farmsteads, the 16 stone houses overlook the naked dunes and sensational sunsets of Livadia Bay.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Mar. 2026
  • The airline placed everyone seeking information in a conference room that overlooked the Potomac River, where the wreckage of Flight 5342 bobbed in the water.
    Brit McCandless Farmer, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Policies were justified not with reference to morality or metaphysics but with citations of white papers.
    Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Conflicts abroad, such as in Iran, that may disrupt domestic oil resources could also be used as an argument to justify the need to drill, Sivas said.
    Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Using a synesthetic logic all his own, Torres explains why Dwayne (the Rock) Johnson is orange, Catholicism is purple, and navy blue is the nefarious color that secretly runs the world.
    Richard Brody, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
  • For an overview of small business tax responsibilities, see IRS Publication 583, which explains general filing and recordkeeping requirements.
    Nancy Ashburn, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • And historians can talk about the Versailles treaty causing resentment in Germany, which led to the rise of Nazism in World War II, and that’s fine; that’s not excusing.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
  • No grievance, no workplace conflict, no personal resentment ever excuses violence.
    Peter D'Abrosca, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Condone.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/condone. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

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