Gave someone a temporary delay or cancellation of punishment, especially a death sentence, or provided relief from something difficult.
From Old French 'repris,' past participle of 'reprendre' (to take back). Originally a legal term meaning to cancel or postpone, it evolved to mean any form of relief or respite from hardship.
Throughout history, dramatic last-minute reprieves have changed the course of people's lives — sometimes governors pardon prisoners while they're literally walking to execution, which is why the word carries such emotional weight in literature and real news stories.
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