Word of the Day

: September 20, 2011

condone

verb kun-DOHN

What It Means

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

condone in Context

The school handbook explicitly states that bullying will not be condoned.

"A workers' union spokeswoman said the union doesn't condone illegal action of any kind." -- From a wire report on NewsOK.com (Oklahoma), August 12, 2011

Did You Know?

Since some folks don't condone even minor usage slips, you might want to get the meaning of this word straight. Although English speakers sometimes use "condone" with the intended meaning "approve of" or "encourage," the more established meaning is closer to "pardon" or "overlook." "Condone" comes from the Latin verb "condonare," which means "to absolve." "Condonare" in turn combines the Latin prefix "con-," indicating thoroughness, and "donare," meaning "to give" or "to grant." Not surprisingly, "donare" is also the source of our words "donate" and "pardon."