verb
condone
kuhn-DOHN
verb
1
To accept or overlook behaviour that is generally considered wrong.
"The school does not condone bullying of any kind."
"His silence seemed to condone the unfair treatment of his colleague."
How to Use Condone
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo let something wrong slide by, effectively giving it your approval by not objecting.
Common mistake
Does not mean "to recommend" or "to encourage" — it means to tolerate or overlook something wrong, often by staying silent.
Common pairings
condone violence
does not condone
condone behaviour
Word Forms
condoned past tense, condones singular
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The school does not _____ bullying of any kind.
Etymology
A learned borrowing from Latin condonare ("to forgive, remit").