condone
kuhn-DOHN
/kənˈdoʊn/
To accept, allow, or overlook behavior that is considered morally wrong or offensive.
Condone implies a silent or passive approval. By not punishing or speaking out against a bad action, you are condoning it.
The story behind the word. Condone comes from the Latin 'condonare', which meant 'to give away' or 'to present as a gift'. In legal Latin, it came to mean 'to give up the right to punish'—essentially gifting the offender with a free pass.
Word relationships
- overlook: Overlook means to ignore a mistake or minor infraction, often out of kindness or laziness.
- tolerate: Tolerate means to allow something to exist or happen without liking it, whereas condoning implies a degree of moral acceptance.
- condemn: Condemn means to express complete disapproval of something, typically in public.
- forbid: Forbid means to refuse to allow something.
Commonly confused with
- condole: To condole is to express sympathy or sorrow (as in condolences); to condone is to overlook bad behavior.
Word family
- condonation (noun): The act of condoning or overlooking an offense.
Collocations
- cannot condone
- condone violence
- seem to condone
Example sentences
- "The school administration does not condone any form of cheating or academic dishonesty." An official policy statement on behavior.
- "By remaining silent, the manager seemed to condone his employees' lazy work habits." A manager's passive acceptance of poor performance.
Memory hook
Condone sounds like 'con-done'. Think of a con artist who has 'done' a crime, and you decide to let it go. Condone = Let the 'con' be 'done' with it.
When not to use
Do not use when actively praising or supporting an action; use 'endorse' or 'promote'.
Fun facts
- The root 'donare' (to give) is also the source of the words 'donor' and 'donation'.
Related words
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