Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- v. To pronounce clear of guilt or blame.
- v. To relieve of a requirement or obligation.
- v. To grant a remission of sin to.
- v. To pardon or remit (a sin).
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- To set free or release, as from some duty, obligation, or responsibility.
- 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.
- To accomplish; finish.
- To solve; resolve; explain.
- Synonyms To free, release, excuse, liberate, exempt. To acquit, excuse, clear, pardon, forgive, justify. See
acquit .
Wiktionary
- v. transitive To pass a course or test; to gain credit for a class; to qualify academically.
GNU Webster's 1913
- 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
- v. To free from a penalty; to pardon; to remit (a sin); -- said of the sin or guilt.
- v. obsolete To finish; to accomplish.
- v. obsolete To resolve or explain.
WordNet 3.0
- v. let off the hook
- v. grant remission of a sin to
Etymologies
- First attested in the early 15th Century. From Middle English absolven, from Latin absolvere, present active infinitive of absolvō ("set free, acquit"), from ab ("away from") + solvō ("loosen, free, release"). (Wiktionary)
- Middle English absolven, from Latin absolvere; see absolute. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“This is God's forgiveness; and absolution is the conveyance to the conscience of the conviction of forgiveness: to absolve is to free -- to comfort by strengthening -- to afford repose from fear.”
“I must in God's name absolve her from sins that my human heart cannot forgive.”
“Are we really to believe supporters of universal coverage do so because they feel guilty over not giving enough to private charity themselves and feel a gov't program will 'absolve' them of this guilt?”
Health Care and Moral Values, Arnold Kling | EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty
“Kovalchuk, we know that a lot of Devils fans aren't all that enamored of you right now, but we kind of absolve you as well.”
“Love for Kerala doesn't absolve Tharoor: BJP defence in parliament on the IPL row, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday said his love for Kerala doesn't "absolve" the former”
WN.com - Articles related to India eyeing Africa, Latin America for exports: Scindia
“Tuesday said his love for Kerala doesn't "absolve" the former minister of wrongdoing.”
Gaea Times (by Simple Thoughts) Breaking News and incisive views 24/7
“However, does the host's principal role as comedian absolve him of blame for promoting a potentially-offensive caricature of his subjects?”
The Huffington Post: Zachary Stockill: Consuming Enlightenment: Jeremy Piven's India
“Maybe we can absolve these poor unfortunates that are barely able to function, from all taxes, and continue with free food, free medical care, free cash, free education, and in some cases free cars.”
“And, although it doesn't absolve him of his responsibility to account for his actions, Greg Mortenson gets my gratitude for teaching me this yet again, and -- simply because he is human -- he gets my compassion.”
The Huffington Post: Marianne Elliott: Three Cups of Humble Pie
“They're supposed to absolve our leaders of blame for the consequences of their actions.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘absolve’.
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GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abject, abjure and 4087 more...
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hunting
crudely, unequivocal, obsolete, obscure, overtly, misdeed, shack, inherent, outcry, hefty, composed, poised and 319 more...
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Interesting words
A list of words that are odd or words that I have looked up.
concupiscence, brize, scree, scoria, forestaff, spanaemia, valetudinarianism, distasture, pyrethrum, laudanum, gentian, bicameral and 11250 more...
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Rlist
voracious, indiscriminate, steeped, replete, eminent, prognosticate, abound, automaton, paradoxical, chronoloigical, annal, amateur and 81 more...
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my gre list
its my gre word lists
abeyance, aberr, abash, abide, abhor, abject, abjure, ablution, abode, abolish, abominable, aboriginal and 19 more...
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1000 words
abdicate, aberration, abet, abide, abject, ablution, abnegate, aboriginal, abortive, abrogate, abstemious, abstruse and 78 more...
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5000 FREE SAT Words
abase, abbess, abbey, abbot, abdicate, abdomen, abdominal, abduction, abed, aberration, abet, abeyance and 229 more...
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Good for Academics
Gahh!! Study!
supplant, usurp, finagle, winnow, draconian, abut, collude, swindle, objectify, incite, decadent, obstinate and 327 more...
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Words
Playa
schadenfreude, quixotic, serendipity, loquacious, ubiquitous, aforementioned, inherently, superfluous, dissonance, tersely, poignant, plethora and 108 more...
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Words
My list of words.
veritable, facetious, nadir, quixotic, apropos, acquiesce, ostensible, insipid, egregious, inveterate, coax, adroit and 409 more...
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SAT vocab
abash, abate, abdicate, aberration, abhor, abject, abnegate, abortive, absolve, abstruse, accolade, accost and 175 more...
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SAT Vocab
Redundant.
problematic, proclivity, prodigal, prodigious, prodigy, profane, profligate, profound, profusion, proliferation, prolific, prologue and 455 more...
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GRE
anomaly, assuage, enigma, equivocal, erudite, fervid, placate, lucid, opaque, precipitate, prodigal, zeal and 113 more...
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everythingecstatic's Words
cadence, frenetic, eloquence, paradigm, nocturne, elusive, effervescence, soliloquy, plethora, elision, aqueous, transcend and 166 more...
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SAT PSAT ALPHABETICAL A
abandon, abash, abate, abjure, ablution, abnegate, abominable, aboriginal, abortive, abrade, abridge, abrogate and 172 more...
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GRE
Taisha GRE Bible
archaic, archetype, archipelago, architect, archive, arctic, ardor, arduous, argot, arid, armory, arrest and 289 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for absolve.

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