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Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. v. To pronounce clear of guilt or blame.
  2. v. To relieve of a requirement or obligation.
  3. v. To grant a remission of sin to.
  4. v. To pardon or remit (a sin).

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. To set free or release, as from some duty, obligation, or responsibility.
  2. To free from the consequences or penalties attaching to actions; acquit; specifically, in eccles. language, to forgive or grant remission of sins; pronounce forgiveness of sins to.
  3. To accomplish; finish.
  4. To solve; resolve; explain.
  5. Synonyms To free, release, excuse, liberate, exempt. To acquit, excuse, clear, pardon, forgive, justify. See acquit.

Wiktionary

  1. v. To set free, release or discharge (from obligations, debts, responsibility etc.).
  2. v. To pronounce free from or give absolution for a penalty, blame, sin or guilt.
  3. v. To pronounce free or give absolution from sin.
  4. v. To finish; to accomplish.
  5. v. To resolve or explain.
  6. v. To set free, release or discharge (from obligations, debts, responsibility etc.).
  7. v. To pronounce free from or give absolution for a penalty, blame, sin or guilt.
  8. v. To pronounce free or give absolution from sin.
  9. v. To finish; to accomplish.
  10. v. To resolve or explain.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. v. To set free, or release, as from some obligation, debt, or responsibility, or from the consequences of guilt or such ties as it would be sin or guilt to violate; to pronounce free
  2. v. To free from a penalty; to pardon; to remit (a sin); -- said of the sin or guilt.
  3. v. To finish; to accomplish.
  4. v. To resolve or explain.

WordNet 3.0

  1. v. let off the hook
  2. v. grant remission of a sin to

Etymologies

  1. Middle English absolven, from Latin absolvere; see absolute.

Examples

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  • chained_bear That line makes me so sad. Dec 22, 2008

  • bookhling Mediocrities everywhere... I absolve you... I absolve you... I absolve you... I absolve you... I absolve you all. Dec 20, 2008

‘absolve’ has been looked up 2574 times, loved by 1 person, added to 42 lists, commented on 2 times, and has a Scrabble score of 12.