free pardon
- noun
- /fri ˈpɑrdən/
- Formal
:
indulto
- Due to new evidence, she was granted a free pardon, allowing her to start anew without the stigma of her past conviction.
Examples
-
It will also I may tell you, gain you a free pardon.
-
After serving five years in prison, he received a free pardon and was officially forgiven for his crime.
-
And, of course, I would burn the whole bunch in return for a free pardon.
Fiction book (1994) -
The governor announced a free pardon for all non-violent offenders in an effort to reduce prison overcrowding.
Synonyms
252
4.2
An official act that forgives someone for a crime and ends their punishment
1
7.0
To officially pardon a group so they are not punished
Antonyms
720
1.3
An action that makes someone suffer for breaking a rule, like a fine or time in prison
How Forgiving
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun combines 'pardon' (formal forgiveness) with 'free' (to release or exempt), so a learner who knows both words can largely infer it denotes a pardon that frees someone from legal consequences. However, there is some legal nuance and potential ambiguity in the modifier 'free' (e.g., free = without cost vs. release), so the exact legal sense is not fully predictable without exposure.
Etymology
Free pardon comes from old courts where pardon meant to give full forgiveness and free meant to let someone go and remove their punishments. So a free pardon is an official act that makes a person 'forgiven' and 'free' from the legal effects of a crime.