1. The exoneration of an individual of crimes through a formal, documented legal process: "The governor issued a pardon to the man who had been previously convicted of a store robbery."
2. Etymology: from Vulgar Latin perdonare, "to give wholeheartedly, to remit"; from Latin per-, "thoroughly" + donare, "to give, to present".

To grant forgiveness or an amnesty for an act or an alleged act: "When Roy arrived at the business meeting, he asked the chairman to pardon his absence from the meeting this morning, because he had to go to the dentist for an emergency replacement of a crown that had fallen off his tooth."