par·don (pär?dn)tr.v. par·doned, par·don·ing, par·dons 1. To release (a person) from punishment or disfavor for wrongdoing or a fault: a convicted criminal who was pardoned by the governor. See Synonyms at forgive.2. To allow (an offense or fault) to pass without punishment or disfavor.3. To make courteous allowance for; excuse: Pardon me, I’m in a hurry.n.1. The act of pardoning.2. Law a. Exemption of a convicted person from the penalties of an offense or crime by the power of the executor of the laws.b. An official document or warrant declaring such an exemption.3. Allowance or forgiveness for an offense or a discourtesy: begged the host’s pardon for leaving early.4. Roman Catholic Church An indulgence.[Middle English pardonen, from Old French pardoner, from Vulgar Latin *perd?n?re, to give wholeheartedly : Latin per-, intensive pref.; see per- + Latin d?n?re, to present, forgive (from d?num, gift; see d?- in Indo-European roots).]par?don·a·ble adj.par?don·a·bly adv.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.pardon (?p??d?n) vb (tr) to excuse or forgive (a person) for (an offence, mistake, etc): to pardon someone; to pardon a fault. n1. forgiveness; allowance2. (Law) a. release from punishment for an offenceb. the warrant granting such release3. (Roman Catholic Church) a Roman Catholic indulgencesentence substitutea. sorry; excuse meb. what did you say?[C13: from Old French, from Medieval Latin perd?num, from perd?n?re to forgive freely, from Latin per (intensive) + d?n?re to grant] ?pardonable adj ?pardonably adv ?pardonless adjCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014par?don (?p?r dn) n. 1. kind indulgence, as in forgiveness for an offense or in tolerance of an inconvenience: I beg your pardon. 2. a. a legal release from the penalty of an offense, as by an official. b. a document declaring such release. 3. forgiveness of an offense or offender. 4. Obs. a papal indulgence. v.t. 5. to excuse or make courteous allowance for: Pardon me for interfering. 6. to release (a person) from liability for an offense. 7. to remit the penalty of (an offense). interj. 8. (used with rising inflection when asking a speaker to repeat something.) [1250?1300; You can apologize to someone by saying ‘I beg your pardon’.Some American speakers say ‘Pardon me’.British speakers sometimes say ‘Pardon?’ when they have not heard or understood what someone has said.