Word of the Day – Condone

Condone is a word that means ‘accept‘ when it is specifically relating to improper behavior. Therefore, you often see the word ‘condone’ following the words ‘do not’.

The word condone is a verb.

Read more about the structure of verbs in the What is a Verb section of this website.

What is the meaning of the Word Condone?

The Cambridge Dictionary gives the following definitions of the word condone:

‘to accept or allow behaviour that is wrong‘ (the UK definition)

and

‘to ignore or accept behavior that some people consider wrong‘ (the US definition)

The word Condone used in a Sentence

There are several examples of the word ‘condone‘ used in sentences below. As explained above, the work condone relates to the acceptance of bad behavior by itself and so most often the word follows ‘do not’, ‘cannot’, ‘will not’, and similar phrases that make the meaning of the sentence show that poor behavior is not accepted by the noun that precedes them (usually a person, group or organization).

Sentences with the word condone in them include:

• The college does not condone gratify on the walls.
• The teacher does not condone the use of swear words in the class.
• The government does not condone crime.
• The company does not condone rude behavior.
• If the police are seen to condone vandalism, the vandals may continue to make it unpleasant for the rest of the public.

Note that in the last sentence the word condone is not following a ‘will not’ type of phrase, but the sentence is written so that the reader understands that if vandalism is seen to be accepted (condoned), the outcome will be that the bad behavior is likely to continue. Hence, ultimately the sentence still relates to:

• The police ‘do not’ condone vandalism.

Hopefully, this post relating to the meaning of ‘condone’ has been helpful. Check out the other word of the day posts here at Write Correctly. For further reading check out the definition in the Cambridge Dictionary. Other dictionaries, such as the Oxford Dictionary and Merriam-Webster Dictionary may have slightly different definitions.

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