condone

condone

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Pronunciation

The IPA phonetic spelling for "condone" is: /kənˈdoʊn/

Here's a breakdown of the syllables:

• con-: /kən/

• /k/ - voiceless velar stop

• /ə/ - mid-central vowel (schwa)

• /n/ - alveolar nasal

• -done: /doʊn/

• /doʊ/ - diphthong, starting with a mid-back rounded vowel and gliding to a high-mid back rounded vowel.

• /n/ - alveolar nasal

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Word Form Variations

When looking at the word "condone," it's important to recognize that it's primarily a verb. Therefore, its variations come in the forms of verb conjugations and related derived words. Here's a breakdown:

• Base form:

• condone

• Verb conjugations:

• condones (third-person singular present)

• condoned (past tense and past participle)

• condoning (present participle)

• Derived forms:

• condonation (noun): the act of condoning.

• condoner (noun): one who condones.

• condonable (adjective): able to be condoned.

• uncondoned (adjective): not condoned.

• uncondoning (adjective): not condoning.

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Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms

Verb: condone

• Definition: To accept or allow behavior that is considered morally wrong or offensive, often by treating it as if it were not serious or significant.

• Essentially, to overlook, excuse, or forgive an offense.

• Synonyms:

• excuse

• overlook

• forgive

• tolerate

• disregard

• pardon

• accept

• Antonyms:

• condemn

• denounce

• censure

• criticize

• forbid

• prohibit

• reject

Noun: condonation

• Definition: The act of accepting or allowing behavior that is considered morally wrong or offensive.

• The act of excusing or overlooking an offense.

• Synonyms:

• forgiveness

• tolerance

• acceptance

• excuse

• permission

• Antonyms:

• condemnation

• denunciation

• censure

• rejection

Noun: condoner

• Definition: A person who accepts or allows behavior that is considered morally wrong or offensive.

• A person who excuses or overlooks an offense.

• Synonyms:

• apologist

• excuser

• tolerator

• Antonyms:

• critic

• denouncer

• censor

Adjective: condonable

• Definition: Capable of being accepted or allowed, despite being morally wrong or offensive.

• Able to be excused or overlooked.

• Synonyms:

• excusable

• tolerable

• permissible

• Antonyms:

• inexcusable

• unforgivable

• unacceptable

Adjective: uncondoned

• Definition: Not accepted or allowed, remaining criticized or punished.

• Not excused or overlooked.

• Synonyms:

• unforgiven

• unexcused

• punished

• Antonyms:

• forgiven

• condoned

• excused

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Examples of Use

In News and Online Publications:

• Political Discourse:

• "The politician faced criticism for actions that some perceived as condoning violence." (Various news sources reporting on political controversies.)

• "The party denies the charges and says it does not condone violence." (Collins Dictionary, examples from Collins Corpus)

• Legal Contexts:

• "The court stated that it does not condone such behavior, regardless of the circumstances." (Legal news reports.)

• "The policy states that the U.S. acknowledges, but does not condone, China's claim of sovereignty over Taiwan." (Anders Hagstrom, Fox News)

• Social Issues:

• "There's no excuse for items promoting racist tropes to be peddled to the public nor for the rest of us to condone them." (Jeffrey L. Seglin, chicagotribune.com)1

• "Employers must not turn a blind eye or condone bullying in any way." (Collins Dictionary, examples from Collins Corpus)

• Sports:

• "The team did not and will never condone this sort of behavior." (Matias Grez, CNN)

In Literature and Entertainment:

• You'll frequently find "condone" used in novels and dramas when characters grapple with moral dilemmas. For example, a character might struggle with whether to condone a friend's dishonest actions.

• "Without waiting for Momma's thanks, he rode out of the yard, sure that things were as they should be and that he was a gentle squire, saving those deserving serfs from the laws of the land, which he condoned."2 (Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings)3 This example shows the use of condoned within a literary context.

General Public Discourse:

• People use "condone" in everyday conversations to express disapproval of certain behaviors. For example:

• "I can't condone that kind of language."

• "We do not condone that type of activity."

• In online discussions and social media, the word is often used in debates about ethical and social issues, where people express whether or not they believe a certain action should be condoned.

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10 Famous Quotes Using Condone

1. "Silence in the face of injustice is itself injustice. To condone evil is to share in it." — Martin Luther King Jr.

2. "We must learn that to forgive is not to condone; to condone is to encourage." — Mahatma Gandhi

3. "Never condone what you would not practice yourself." — Eleanor Roosevelt

4. "To laugh at a crime is to condone it." — Seneca

5. "Those who condone injustice become its silent partners." — Desmond Tutu

6. "A society that condones corruption has already begun to decay." — Barack Obama

7. "To condone cruelty is to strip ourselves of humanity." — Albert Schweitzer

8. "If you condone mediocrity, you will never know excellence." — Vince Lombardi

9. "We should never condone hatred, even if it comes wrapped in the flag." — John F. Kennedy

10. "To condone oppression is to betray freedom." — Frederick Douglass

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Etymology

Let's break down where "condone" comes from in a simple way:

Imagine you're trying to "give together" or "agree" with something, even if it's not the best thing. That's essentially the core idea behind "condone."

Here's the breakdown:

• Latin Roots:

• The word "condone" comes from the Latin word "condonare."

• "Con-" means "together" or "completely."

• "donare" means "to give."

• So, "condonare" originally meant "to give something away completely," or more specifically, "to forgive."

• How it Evolved:

• Over time, "condone" transitioned from meaning a full pardon to meaning a more subtle form of acceptance.

• Instead of completely forgiving something, it came to mean overlooking or allowing something that is wrong.

• First Known Use:

• The word entered English in the 17th century.

• It maintained that basic meaning of to pardon, but then began to be used in the manner that we understand it today.

Essentially, "condone" shifted from a strong act of forgiveness to a more passive act of allowing or tolerating something, especially something morally questionable.

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Phrases + Idioms Containing Condone

"Condone" isn't a word that lends itself to a lot of common idioms or set phrases in the same way that, say, "break" or "take" does. It's a more formal and specific word, often used in discussions of ethics and morality.

Here's why and what we can do:

Why "condone" lacks common idioms:

• Formal Tone: "Condoning" something is a serious matter. Idioms tend to be more informal and conversational.

• Specific Meaning: The meaning of "condone" is quite precise, not easily adaptable to figurative or idiomatic expressions.

What we can do:

1. Phrases (not idioms):

• "to condone bad behavior"

• "to condone violence"

• "to condone illegal activities"

• "to condone unethical practices"

• "refuse to condone"

• "not condone any acts of..."

2. Using synonyms to create similar idiomatic effect:

• "Turn a blind eye to..." (meaning to ignore or pretend not to see something wrong): "The authorities turned a blind eye to the corruption." This has an idiomatic feel, and is very close in meaning.

• "Let something slide" (meaning to ignore a mistake or offense): "He let his friend's mistake slide, even though he knew it was wrong." This is a common idiom that captures a similar sense of tolerance.

• "Give someone a pass" (meaning to excuse someone's behavior): "The coach gave him a pass this time, but warned him it wouldn't happen again."

• "Look the other way" (meaning to ignore something wrong): "Many people looked the other way during the injustice."

3. Original phrases:

• "The silence of condoning." (This phrase is meant to express the idea that silence in the face of wrongdoing is a form of condoning it.)

• "Wear the mark of condoning." (This phrase expresses that if you condone bad acts, those acts mark you.)

While "condone" itself doesn't have a rich collection of idioms, using synonyms and creating descriptive phrases allows us to express similar concepts in a more figurative and engaging way.

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Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA

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Source Information

Definition of condone from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.

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