Definitions
- To stop feeling angry or resentful towards someone who has wronged you. - To let go of negative feelings and emotions towards someone who has hurt you. - To release someone from blame or responsibility for their actions.
- To officially excuse someone from punishment or legal consequences for a crime or offense. - To forgive someone for a mistake or wrongdoing. - To grant someone permission to do something that would otherwise be prohibited.
List of Similarities
- 1Both involve forgiving or excusing someone for their actions.
- 2Both can be used to show mercy or leniency towards someone.
- 3Both can be used to restore a relationship or trust between people.
What is the difference?
- 1Usage: Forgive is more commonly used in everyday language, while pardon is more formal and often used in legal or official contexts.
- 2Focus: Forgive emphasizes letting go of negative emotions and moving on, while pardon focuses on excusing someone from punishment or legal consequences.
- 3Responsibility: Forgive places the responsibility on the forgiver to release negative feelings, while pardon places the responsibility on the person granting the pardon to excuse someone from punishment.
- 4Connotation: Forgive has a positive connotation of compassion and understanding, while pardon can have a neutral or negative connotation of excusing someone from wrongdoing.
- 5Scope: Pardon is more specific and limited to legal or official contexts, while forgive can be used in a wider range of personal and social situations.
Remember this!
Forgive and pardon are synonyms that both involve excusing or forgiving someone for their actions. However, forgive is more commonly used in everyday language and emphasizes letting go of negative emotions, while pardon is more formal and focuses on excusing someone from punishment or legal consequences.