Word of the Day

: February 4, 2019

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.

"Forgiving those who have hurt us, or our loved ones, does not mean we condone what they did. What it means is, we are willing to let go, giving ourselves permission to move forward and to take back control of our lives." — Mike Zimmer, The Record Observer (Centreville, Maryland), 28 Dec. 2018

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.