# pardon

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈpɑːdn̩/ · frequency rank #9,377

## Definitions
1. Forgiveness for an offence.
2. An order that releases a convicted criminal without further punishment, prevents future punishment, or (in some jurisdictions) removes an offence from a person's criminal record, as if it had never been committed.

## Etymology
From Middle English pardonen, from Old French pardoner (modern French pardonner), from Late Latin perdonare, from per- + donare, possibly a calque (if not vice-versa) of a Germanic word represented by Frankish *firgeban (“to forgive, give up completely”), from *fir- + *geban. Akin to Old High German fargeban, firgeban (“to forgive”), Old English forġiefan (“to forgive”). More at forgive.

## Easily confused with
- **Paton** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pardon-vs-paton)
- **person** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pardon-vs-person)
- **patron** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pardon-vs-patron)
- **parrot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pardon-vs-parrot)
- **Patton** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pardon-vs-patton)
- **parlor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pardon-vs-parlor)
- **Paxton** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pardon-vs-paxton)
- **Payton** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pardon-vs-payton)
- **parton** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pardon-vs-parton)
- **parson** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pardon-vs-parson)
- **parkin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pardon-vs-parkin)
- **Pearson** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pardon-vs-pearson)
- **Parsons** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pardon-vs-parsons)
- **pardons** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pardon-vs-pardons)
- **paradox** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/paradox-vs-pardon)
- **paragon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/paragon-vs-pardon)

## Common misspellings (9)
`aprdon`, `padron`, `parddon`, `pardno`, `pardonn`, `parodn`, `parrdon`, `ppardon`, `pradon`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/pardon