Wiktionary

absolve

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, 29 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.

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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