Pardoning: meaning, definitions and examples

Used in legal or official contexts when someone with authority (like a governor or president) forgives someone for a wrong or criminal act.

• The governor announced the pardoning of several prisoners on Christmas Eve.
• The president issued a pardoning for the war criminal, much to the dismay of the public.

Used in everyday, personal contexts to describe the act of forgiving someone for a personal wrong or hurt.

• She sought forgiveness from her friend after their argument.
• He found it hard to ask for forgiveness after what he did.

Used in legal and political contexts to describe a pardon extended by the government to a group of people, often for political crimes.

• The government declared an amnesty for all political prisoners.
• The new administration offered an amnesty to those who surrendered illegal weapons.

Used primarily in religious contexts to denote the formal forgiveness of sins by a priest or religious authority.

• The priest granted absolution to the repentant sinner.
• After confession, she felt a sense of relief due to the absolution she received.

Typically used in legal or official contexts when an authority figure (like a president) forgives someone for their crime, often after conviction.

• The president is considering pardoning the convicted spy

Commonly used in personal or emotional contexts when someone decides to let go of anger or resentment towards someone else's mistake or wrongdoing.

• She decided to forgive him for forgetting their anniversary

Generally used in everyday situations to provide reasons for someone's behavior or to ask for permission to leave. Can also imply a minor wrongdoing.

• Please excuse my lateness; the traffic was terrible

Used in legal settings to declare someone not guilty of a crime, usually after a trial.

• The jury decided to acquit the defendant due to lack of evidence