absolve

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See also: absolvé

English

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Etymology

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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”). Doublet of assoil.

Pronunciation

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  • (UK) IPA(key): /əbˈzɒlv/
  • (US) IPA(key): /æbˈzɑlv/, /æbˈsɑlv/, /əbˈzɑlv/, /əbˈsɑlv/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɒlv

Verb

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absolve (third-person singular simple present absolves, present participle absolving, simple past and past participle absolved)

  1. (transitive) To set free, release or discharge (from obligations, debts, responsibility etc.). [First attested around 1350 to 1470.][1]
    You will absolve a subject from his allegiance.
  2. (transitive, obsolete) To resolve; to explain; to solve. [Attested from the late 15th century until the mid 17th century.][1]
  3. (transitive) To pronounce free from or give absolution for a penalty, blame, or guilt. [First attested in the mid 16th century.][1]
  4. (transitive, law) To pronounce not guilty; to grant a pardon for. [First attested in the mid 16th century.][1]
  5. (transitive, theology) To grant a remission of sin; to give absolution to. [First attested in the mid 16th century.][1]
    • 1597, William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, act 3, scene 5:
      To make confession and to be absolved.
  6. (transitive, theology) To remit a sin; to give absolution for a sin. [First attested in the late 16th century.][1]
  7. (transitive, obsolete) To finish; to accomplish. [Attested from the late 16th century until the early 19th century.][1]
    • 1667, John Milton, “Book VII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 93–94:
      and the work begun, how ſoon / Abſolv'd,
  8. (transitive) To pass a course or test; to gain credit for a class; to qualify academically.

Usage notes

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  • (to set free, release from obligations): Normally followed by the word from.
  • (to pronounce free from; give absolution for blame): Normally followed by the word from.

Synonyms

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Derived terms

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English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *lewh₃-‎ (0 c, 30 e)

Translations

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The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

References

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  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Lesley Brown, editor-in-chief, William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, editors (2002), “absolve”, in The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 5th edition, Oxford, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 9.

Galician

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Verb

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absolve

  1. inflection of absolver:
    1. third-person singular present indicative
    2. second-person singular imperative

Latin

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Verb

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absolve

  1. second-person singular present active imperative of absolvō

Portuguese

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Verb

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absolve

  1. inflection of absolver:
    1. third-person singular present indicative
    2. second-person singular imperative
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