condone
gb/kəndˈoʊn/ us/kəndˈoʊn/
C1
English
eltűr, szemet huny valami fölött, elnéz, megbocsát
VERB
C1
FORMAL
1
Usage pattern:
condone [something] / condone [someone]'s [behavior]
The school does not condone bullying of any kind.
Az iskola a zaklatás semmilyen formáját nem tűri.
By staying silent, he seemed to condone the racist comments.
Azzal, hogy hallgatott, úgy tűnt, szemet huny a rasszista megjegyzések fölött.
No one is asking you to condone his actions, only to listen.
Learner examples
I cannot condone cheating on exams.
Nem tudom eltűrni a vizsgacsalást.
Our company does not condone harassment.
A vállalatunk nem tűri a zaklatást.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *condone* to mean simply “ignore” or “not notice.” *Condone* implies you know it is wrong but accept/allow it.
Meaning
accept wrongdoing without protest
Collocations
condone violence
|condone cheating
|condone racism
|condone discrimination
|condone illegal activity
|condone corruption
|condone harassment
|condone bad behavior
|condone the use of force
|condone what happened
Synonyms
tolerate (Often means ‘put up with’; *condone* suggests moral acceptance.)
|
countenance (More formal; means ‘allow/approve’ in a similar way.)
|
endorse (Stronger and more open approval than *condone*.)
Antonyms
condemn (To publicly express strong disapproval.)
|
oppose (To actively act against or argue against something.)
|
prohibit (To formally forbid something, often by rule or law.)
Themes
morality
|law
|society
|workplace
|relationships
Definition
to allow something wrong to happen and not say it is wrong
To accept or allow behavior that is considered wrong, especially by not criticizing it or trying to stop it.
VERB
C1
FORMAL
2
Usage pattern:
condone [an act/offense] / condone [someone]'s [misconduct]
I don’t condone what he did, but I can understand the pressure he was under.
Nem nézem el, amit tett, de meg tudom érteni, milyen nyomás alatt állt.
The manager refused to condone repeated lateness.
A vezető nem volt hajlandó elnézni az ismétlődő késéseket.
She could not condone the deception, even though it seemed harmless to others.
Learner examples
My parents did not condone my lie.
A szüleim nem nézték el a hazugságomat.
Common mistake:
Don’t confuse *condone* with *pardon*: *pardon* is often official (legal/authority), while *condone* emphasizes moral acceptance/overlooking.
Meaning
forgive or overlook an offense
Collocations
condone an error
|condone misconduct
|condone a breach
|condone repeated lateness
|condone minor offenses
|condone misbehavior
|condone a mistake
|condone an affair
|condone the incident
|condone what [someone] did
Synonyms
forgive (More personal and emotional; doesn’t necessarily imply acceptance as ‘not wrong.’)
|
overlook (Emphasizes choosing not to notice or not to make an issue of it.)
|
excuse (Suggests offering reasons to reduce blame; *condone* may lack justification.)
Antonyms
punish (To impose a penalty instead of letting it pass.)
|
reprimand (To criticize officially rather than overlook.)
Themes
morality
|relationships
|discipline
|parenting
Definition
to forgive a wrong action and not punish it
To forgive or overlook a wrongdoing, especially by choosing not to punish it or treat it as serious.
VERB
C2
LEGAL
3
megbocsát
C2
Usage pattern:
condone [a marital offense] / condone [adultery]
The court considered whether the spouse had condoned the adultery by resuming cohabitation.
A bíróság azt vizsgálta, hogy a házastárs az együttélés folytatásával megbocsátotta-e a házasságtörést.
His lawyer argued that the misconduct had been condoned and could not be relied on in the claim.
Ügyvédje azzal érvelt, hogy a kötelességszegést megbocsátották, ezért arra a keresetben nem lehetett hivatkozni.
Common mistake:
This is a specialized legal sense; in general English, *condone* is used more broadly for any wrongdoing.
Meaning
legally forgive a spouse’s offense
Collocations
condone adultery
|condone a marital offense
|condone misconduct
|condone the affair
|condone the infidelity
Synonyms
forgive (General word; lacks the specific legal consequence.)
Antonyms
repudiate (To reject or refuse to accept, especially formally.)
Themes
law
|family
|marriage
Definition
in law, to forgive a spouse’s serious wrongdoing and continue the marriage
In family law, to forgive a spouse’s marital offense (such as adultery) and resume the relationship, which may limit the ability to rely on that offense in later legal action.
Grammar
Dictionary form
condone
IPA
GB/kəndˈoʊn/
US/kəndˈoʊn/
Syllables & stress
con - done (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (done)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: condone
- 3rd Person Singular: condones
- Present Participle: condoning
- Past: condoned
Word family
Forms
condones
verb
condoning
verb
condoned
verb
Negative and opposite forms
condemn
verb B2
Advanced or less common
condonation
noun
Expressions
do not condone [something]
1/dˈu nˈɑt kəndˈoʊn sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
business
officially reject wrongdoing
a formal way to say you do not accept something wrong
Examples
- We do not condone any form of harassment in the workplace.
- The company stated that it does not condone illegal downloading.
- His comments were widely criticized, and he said he did not condone violence.
Learner examples
- We do not condone bullying.