Official forgiveness or releasing someone from punishment for a crime, or polite phrases used to ask someone to repeat themselves.
From Old French 'pardoner' (to forgive), from Latin 'per-' (completely) + 'donare' (to give). Used in English since the 1300s for both forgiveness and politeness.
A presidential pardon is an incredible power—one person can essentially erase a criminal conviction, which is why these decisions are so controversial and heavily scrutinized!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.