PARDON

Pardon, v. [a. OF. pardoner, perduner (11th c.), F. pardonner = Pr., Sp. perdonar, Pg. perdoar, It. perdonare, late L. perdonare to grant, concede, remit, condone, indulge, f. L. per- through + donare to present, give, perh. after OHG. forgeben, forgive. OED.]

Derivatives: Unpardon, unpardonable, unpardonableness, unpardonably, unpardoned, unpardoning.

†1. trans. To remit or condone (something due, a duty, obligation, debt, fine, or penalty). Sometimes with indirect (dative) obj. of the person. Obs. OED.
Pardon a sentence.
I pardon thee thy life before thou aske it. Shakes. (Merch.) 1596 OED
Who had their lives pardoned on condition to cleanse the city. Fuller (Holy War) 1639 OED

2. To remit the penalty of (an offence); to pass over (an offence or offender) without punishment or blame; to forgive.
Pardon is a more formal term than forgive, being that used in legal language.
Semantic Identity: French: Pardonner; Spanish: Perdonar; Italian: Perdonare.
a. With the offence as obj.: sometimes with the offender as ind. obj., or governed by to.
He will not pardon your transgressions.
Her father would never have pardoned so much obstinacy. Hume (Hist. Eng.) 1759 OED
b. With the offender as obj. OED.
Pardon you! said he, What! when you don't repent? Richardson (Pamela) 1741 OED
Pardon me, and kill me not, and so may God pardon thee. Lane (Arab. Nts.) 1841 OED
These, I say, are things which one may well be pardoned for disbelieving. E. Poe. (Estéf.)


c. absol. To grant pardon or forgiveness. OED.
Hee will abundantly pardon. OED.

d. To put away by pardon. (nonce-use.) OED.
We cannot pardon away a wound or forgive away a disease. J. P. Hopps (Princ. Relig.) 1875 OED

3. To make courteous allowance for; to excuse: a. a fact or action. OED.
Pardon my boldnes.
Pardon my impatience. Hamilton Papers (Camden) 1648 OED
You will be pleased to pardon my infirmity. Hume (Hist. Eng.) 1761 OED

b. a person; formerly esp. in asking to be excused from doing something (now excuse me: see excuse v. 7). OED.
Beat. Will you not tell me who told you so? Bene. No, you shall pardon me. Shakes. (Much Ado) 1599 OED
Pardon me from dwelling so long on this sad theme. A. Seward (Lett.) 1795 OED


Hence "pardoned, ppl. a.; "pardoning, vbl. n. and ppl. a.
One of the witnesses against him, being a pardoned robber. Luttrell (Brief Rel.) 1692 OED
Thou thyself shalt preach up the pardoning of injuries. Scott (F.M. Perth) 1828 OED

[Reformers] whose essential integrity of intention wins for them at last a pardoning respect. 1896 Academy 12 Dec. OED