Third person singular present tense: to forgive someone of guilt or to release them from responsibility.
From Latin 'absolvere' (ab- 'from' + solvere 'to loosen'). The modern English form evolved through Old French and Middle English, maintaining the core meaning of freeing or releasing.
The root 'solvere' also gives us 'solve' and 'dissolve'—absolve is literally 'to un-loose' someone from guilt, like untying a knot!
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