- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
  Log In

condone

verb

con·donekən-ˈdōn How to pronounce condone (audio)

condoned;condoning

Synonyms ofcondone next

transitive verb

:to regard or treat (something bad orblameworthy) as acceptable, forgivable, or harmless

a government accused ofcondoning racism

condone corruption in politics

condonable

kən-ˈdō-nə-bəl How to pronounce condone (audio)

adjective

condonernoun

Did you know?

If you're among folks who don't condone even what they consider minor usage slips, you might want tohew to the more established meaning ofcondone. Although English speakers sometimes usecondone to mean "encourage" or "approve of" (as in "officials accused of condoning corruption"), some people feel strongly that it should only mean something closer to "pardon" or "overlook."Condone comes from the Latin verbcondonare, which means "to absolve."Condonare in turn combines the Latin prefixcom-, indicating thoroughness, anddonare, meaning "to give." Not surprisingly,donare is also the source of our wordsdonate andpardon.

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Choose the Right Synonym forcondone

excuse,condone,pardon,forgive mean to exact neither punishment nor redress.

excuse may refer to specific acts especially in social or conventional situations or the person responsible for these.

excuse an interruption

excused them for interrupting

Often the term implies extenuating circumstances.

injusticeexcuses strong responses

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 thatcondones alcohol but not narcotics

pardon implies that one remits a penalty due for an admitted or established offense.

pardon a criminal

forgive implies that one gives up all claim to requital and to resentment or vengeful feelings.

could notforgive their rudeness

Examples ofcondone in a Sentence

"I don'tcondone violence, and I think 'gangsta rap' should be outlawed," says [designer Tommy] Hilfiger …—

Joshua Levine,Forbes,21 Apr. 1997

Without waiting for Momma's thanks, he rode out of the yard, sure that things were as they should be and that he was a gentle squire, saving those deserving serfs from the laws of the land, which hecondoned.—

Maya Angelou,I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,1969

And then she told him all—told him the truth word by word, without attempting to shield herself orcondone her error.—

Edgar Rice Burroughs,Tarzan of the Apes,1912

a government that has been accused ofcondoning racism he is too quick tocondone his friend's faults

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

However, settlers of lands occupied by indigenous peoples – not just in Israel, but in other countries, too – have deployed these texts tocondonemass violence.—

Tamir Sorek,The Conversation, 2 Apr. 2025Will future generations celebrate orcondonetheir use of natural resources, labor practices or any participation in the deportations of their day?—

Sarah Federman,The Conversation, 16 Apr. 2025Many Christian nationalists do notcondoneviolence.—

John Blake,CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2025Health does not promote orcondoneweight loss that's not under the care of a healthcare provider.—

Julia Ries,Health, 9 Apr. 2025See All Example Sentences forcondone