CONDONE Synonyms: 36 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'condone' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of condone are excuse , forgive , and pardon . While all these words mean "to exact neither punishment nor redress," condone implies that one overlooks without censure behavior (such as dishonesty or violence) that involves a serious breach of a moral, ethical, or legal code, and the term may refer to the behavior or to the agent responsible for it. // a society that condones alcohol but not narcotics

Q: When would 'excuse' be a good substitute for 'condone'?

The words excuse and condone are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, excuse may refer to specific acts especially in social or conventional situations or the person responsible for these. Often the term implies extenuating circumstances. // excuse an interruption // excused them for interrupting // injustice excuses strong responses

Q: When is 'forgive' a more appropriate choice than 'condone'?

Although the words forgive and condone have much in common, forgive implies that one gives up all claim to requital and to resentment or vengeful feelings. // could not forgive their rudeness

Q: When can 'pardon' be used instead of 'condone'?

The synonyms pardon and condone are sometimes interchangeable, but pardon implies that one remits a penalty due for an admitted or established offense. // pardon a criminal

condone

verb

kən-ˈdōn

Definition of condone

as in to ignore

to dismiss as of little importance he is too quick to condone his friend's faults

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How does the verb condone differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of condone are excuse, forgive, and pardon. While all these words mean "to exact neither punishment nor redress," condone implies that one overlooks without censure behavior (such as dishonesty or violence) that involves a serious breach of a moral, ethical, or legal code, and the term may refer to the behavior or to the agent responsible for it.

a society that condones alcohol but not narcotics

When would excuse be a good substitute for condone?

The words excuse and condone are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, excuse may refer to specific acts especially in social or conventional situations or the person responsible for these. Often the term implies extenuating circumstances.

excuse an interruption

excused them for interrupting

injustice excuses strong responses

When is forgive a more appropriate choice than condone?

Although the words forgive and condone have much in common, forgive implies that one gives up all claim to requital and to resentment or vengeful feelings.

could not forgive their rudeness

When can pardon be used instead of condone?

The synonyms pardon and condone are sometimes interchangeable, but pardon implies that one remits a penalty due for an admitted or established offense.

pardon a criminal

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of condone Even as the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 and of Iraq in 2003 became largely condoned by the American public, displacement, suffering and impasse persist in the region, now in the form of the ongoing conflicts in the Gaza Strip and Iran. — Christopher Coffman, The Conversation, 24 Aug. 2026 Being empathetic and talking to people doesn’t amount to condoning their behavior, Marnik added. — Felice J. Freyer, STAT, 19 Aug. 2026 State public defender Jeff Wright testified during the appeals proceedings that Ruhtenberg was fired because her posts were perceived as condoning violence. — Huo Jingnan, NPR, 23 June 2026 The Franklin Regional School District does not condone this type of behavior, and there is no room for hate speech in our community. — Mamie Bah, CBS News, 9 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for condone

Recent Examples of Synonyms for condone

Verb

Scribner’s ignored Hemingway and let Conrad use brief excerpts.

— Stephen Bates, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026
Moscow ignored that truce from the start and Kyiv vowed to retaliate.

— Spencer Kimball,Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of ignore

Verb

In my case, severe endometriosis, overlooked by doctors for twenty years, destroyed my ability to have children.

— The New Yorker, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
The Offer At My Front Door During my time on the council, a developer appealed to us after the planning board rejected his plan for condos overlooking the largest lake in town.

— Jim Carlough, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of overlook

Verb

Between those grounds and the pool, there's enough here to justify leaving part of the day unscheduled.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026
In this case, the AI agent carried over an earlier instruction not to send any Slack messages to OpenAI’s team, using that to justify turning off the alerts.

— Emma Roth, The Verge, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of justify

Verb

For next year’s admissions, institutions would have to publish more detailed selection criteria and explain rejections when applicants request reasons.

— Thomas Adamson, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
Chatbots can also explain complex topics in new ways and condense an overwhelming amount of information into a simple summary.

— Robin Brewer, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of explain

Verb

Look, saying a team should have played better doesn't excuse a questionable call that helps decide the game.

— Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
But the series’ choice to humanize the villain without excusing her actions was intentional, Thornton explains.

— Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of excuse

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“Condone.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/condone. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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