the act of pardoning; forgiveness, as of an offender, or of an offense; release from penalty; remission of punishment; absolution.-an official warrant of remission of penalty.-the state of being forgiven.-a release, by a sovereign, or officer having jurisdiction, from the penalties of an offense, being distinguished from amenesty, which is a general obliteration and canceling of a particular line of past offenses.-to absolve from the consequences of a fault or the punishment of crime; to free from penalty; -- applied to the offender.-to remit the penalty of; to suffer to pass without punishment; to forgive; -- applied to offenses.-to refrain from exacting as a penalty.-to give leave (of departure) to.