Dictionary

absolve en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /əbˈzɒlv/ (UK)
• /-ˈsɔlv/ (US)
• /æbˈzɑlv/ (US)
• /-ˈzɔlv/ (US)
• (US) audio
• /-ˈsɑlv/ (US)
• /əbˈ-/ (US)

Etymology

First attested in the early 15th century. From Middle English absolven, from Latin absolvere (“set free, acquit”), from ab (“away from”) + solvō (“loosen, free, release”). Doublet of assoil.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To set free, release or discharge (from obligations, debts, responsibility etc.).
   • Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind. Absolve you to yourself, and you shall have the suffrage of the world. 1841, Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Self-Reliance”, in Essays: First Series:
   • You will absolve a subject from his allegiance.
   • The Committee divided, and Halifax was absolved by a majority of fourteen. 1851, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XIV, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume III, London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC, page 410:
2. (obsolete, transitive) To resolve; to explain; to solve.
   • 1595, George Peele, The Old Wives’ Tale, The Malone Society Reprints, 1908, lines 331-332, […] he that can monsters tame, laboures atchive, riddles absolve […]
   • we ſhall not abſolve the doubt. 1650, Thomas Browne, “Of the blackneſſe of Negroes”, in Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], →OCLC, 6th book, page 276:
3. (transitive) To pronounce free from or give absolution for a penalty, blame, or guilt.
   • A Heretic may see the truth and seek redemption. He may be forgiven his past and will be absolved in death. A Traitor can never be forgiven. A Traitor will never find peace in this world or the next. There is nothing as wretched or as hated in all the world as a Traitor. 1993, Rick Priestley, Andy Chambers, Warhammer 40,000 Rulebook, Second edition, Games Workshop, page 22:
4. (transitive) To pronounce not guilty; to grant a pardon for.
   • Abſolves the juſt, and dooms the guilty ſouls. 1725, Homer, “Book XI”, in [Alexander Pope], transl., The Odyssey of Homer. […], volume III, London: […] Bernard Lintot, →OCLC, page 121, line 702:
5. (transitive) To grant a remission of sin; to give absolution to.
   • To make confession and to be absolved. 1597, William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, act 3, scene 5:
6. (transitive) To remit a sin; to give absolution for a sin.
   • In his name I abſolve your perjury and ſanctify your arms: follow my footſteps in the paths of glory and ſalvation; and if ſtill ye have ſcruples, devolve on my head the puniſhment and the ſin. 1788, Edward Gibbon, chapter LXVII, in The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, volume VI, London: […] W[illiam] Strahan; and T[homas] Cadell, […], →OCLC, page 447:
7. (obsolete, transitive) To finish; to accomplish.
   • and the work begun, how ſoon / Abſolv'd, 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:
8. (transitive) To pass a course or test; to gain credit for a class; to qualify academically.

Forms

Deriveds

absolvement · unabsolve · absolver · absolvable · reabsolve

Relateds

absolutionary · absolvatory · absolutory · absolutive

Synonyms

instruct · riddle · fullcome · disculp · finish · befree · reason out · release · sleuth · release · set free · round off · expound · free · untangle · exculpate · let loose · forgive · unleash · unsolve · acquit · meliorate · disclose · illustrate · upsolve · solve · assoil · loose · finalize · exculpate · get to the bottom of · specify · excuse · complete · extricate · free · absolve · acquittance · decipher · explain · liberate · decipher · remit · vindicate · absolve · elaborate · end · unriddle · unpuzzle · exempt · stay · ravel · amnesty · think out · clear · discontinue · elucidate · conclude · do · disculpate · finalize · remit · wind up · justify · absolve · exonerate · let go · discharge · iron out · conclude · elucidate · unravel · upsolve · Any from Thesaurus:untangle · remit · direct · puzzle out · get through · shrive · resolve · teach · stop · acquit · unravel · vindicate · deliver · absolve · complete · turn loose · work out · clarify · pardon · inform · work out · terminate · tease out · disentangle · describe · absolve · exonerate · consummate · assoilzie

Translations (134)

la absolvō (to pronounce free or give absolution) · pt exonerar (to set free) · nl vergeven (to pronounce free or give absolution) · es absolver (theology: to pronounce free or give absolution from sin) · sv fritaga (to set free) · ar بَرَّأَ (law: to pronounce not guilty; to grant a pardon for) · nl vergeven (to set free) · fi armahtaa (theology: to pronounce free or give absolution from sin) · sv avlösa (theology: to pronounce free or give absolution from sin) · tr bağışlamak (theology: to pronounce free or give absolution from sin) · tr yarlıgamak (theology: to pronounce free or give absolution from sin) · la absolvō (obsolete: to finish, accomplish) · tr özgür etmek (to set free) · sl oprostiti (to pronounce free or give absolution) · de für unschuldig erklären (law: to pronounce not guilty; to grant a pardon for) · de vollbringen (obsolete: to finish, accomplish) · nl kwijtschelden (to set free) · nl slagen (bij) (to pass a course or test; to gain credit for a class; to qualify academically) · es absolver (to set free) · tr aklamak (to pronounce free or give absolution) · pt terminar (obsolete: to finish, accomplish) · eo senpekigi (theology: to pronounce free or give absolution from sin) · de Absolution erteilen (theology: to remit a sin; to give absolution for a sin) · hu feloldoz (theology: to pronounce free or give absolution from sin) · fr absoudre (to pronounce free or give absolution) · sv lösa (to set free) · qu ch'uyanchay (obsolete: to resolve or explain) · nl absolveren (theology: to pronounce free or give absolution from sin) · de sich qualifizieren (to pass a course or test; to gain credit for a class; to qualify academically) · sl dati odvezo (theology: to pronounce free or give absolution from sin) · el συγχωρώ (to pronounce free or give absolution) · de befreien (to set free) · fi selittää (obsolete: to resolve or explain) · de freisprechen (law: to pronounce not guilty; to grant a pardon for) · sv frikänna (to pronounce free or give absolution) · pl absolwować (theology: to pronounce free or give absolution from sin) · nb absolvere (to pronounce free or give absolution) · tr özgürleştirmek (to set free) · it assolvere (theology: to pronounce free or give absolution from sin) · nb absolvere (theology: to remit a sin; to give absolution for a sin) · nb absolvere (theology: to pronounce free or give absolution from sin) · it assolvere (to pronounce free or give absolution) · pl rozgrzeszyć (theology: to pronounce free or give absolution from sin) · bg оправдавам (to pronounce free or give absolution) · pt solucionar (obsolete: to resolve or explain) · tr erdirmek (obsolete: to finish, accomplish) · fi antaa synninpäästö (theology: to pronounce free or give absolution from sin) · de absolvieren (theology: to pronounce free or give absolution from sin) · tr yarlıgamak (theology: to remit a sin; to give absolution for a sin) · fi ratkaista (obsolete: to resolve or explain) · nl vergeven (theology: to pronounce free or give absolution from sin) · fa عفو کردن (to pronounce free or give absolution) · nl uitleggen (obsolete: to resolve or explain) · sv frita (to set free) · tr yarlıgamak (to pronounce free or give absolution) · fi vapauttaa (law: to pronounce not guilty; to grant a pardon for) · it assolvere (obsolete: to finish, accomplish) · tr bağışlamak (theology: to remit a sin; to give absolution for a sin) · de entlassen (to set free) · pt absolver (to pronounce free or give absolution) · fa معاف کردن (to set free) · fi suorittaa (to pass a course or test; to gain credit for a class; to qualify academically) · de entbinden (to set free) · tr aklamak (law: to pronounce not guilty; to grant a pardon for) · nb frikjenne (to pronounce free or give absolution) · nl ontheffen (to set free) · de erreichen (obsolete: to finish, accomplish) · it assolvere (to set free) · fi suorittaa (obsolete: to finish, accomplish) · la condono (to pronounce free or give absolution) · fi armahtaa (to pronounce free or give absolution) · mi whakaharakore (law: to pronounce not guilty; to grant a pardon for) · nb absolvere (to pass a course or test; to gain credit for a class; to qualify academically) · sv frikalla (to set free) · nl kwijtschelden (law: to pronounce not guilty; to grant a pardon for) · de freisprechen (theology: to pronounce free or give absolution from sin) · nb forklare (obsolete: to resolve or explain) · nl vrijspreken (to pronounce free or give absolution) · nb beslutte (obsolete: to resolve or explain) · sl pomilostiti (law: to pronounce not guilty; to grant a pardon for) · la absolvo (theology: to pronounce free or give absolution from sin) · fr absoudre (theology: to pronounce free or give absolution from sin) · hu feloldoz (to pronounce free or give absolution) · bg освобождавам (to set free) · bg опрощавам (theology: to pronounce free or give absolution from sin) · sl odvezati (theology: to remit a sin; to give absolution for a sin) · fr absoudre (to set free) · fi vapauttaa (to set free) · pt redimir (theology: to pronounce free or give absolution from sin) · de freisprechen (to pronounce free or give absolution) · ca absoldre (to set free) · el απαλλάσω (to set free) · sl pomilostiti (to pronounce free or give absolution) · tr bağışlamak (law: to pronounce not guilty; to grant a pardon for) · tr geçmek (to pass a course or test; to gain credit for a class; to qualify academically) · pt resolver (obsolete: to resolve or explain) · la libero (to set free) · sl razrešiti (to set free) · pt acabar (obsolete: to finish, accomplish) · nl beëindigen (obsolete: to finish, accomplish) · no tilgi (theology: to pronounce free or give absolution from sin) · de bestehen (to pass a course or test; to gain credit for a class; to qualify academically) · la condono (law: to pronounce not guilty; to grant a pardon for) · hu felment (law: to pronounce not guilty; to grant a pardon for) · fi vapauttaa syytöksistä (to pronounce free or give absolution) · nl niet-schuldig verklaren (law: to pronounce not guilty; to grant a pardon for) · sl odvezati (to set free) · pl rozgrzeszać (theology: to pronounce free or give absolution from sin) · eo malkondamni (law: to pronounce not guilty; to grant a pardon for) · ru проща́ть (theology: to pronounce free or give absolution from sin) · sl oprostiti (law: to pronounce not guilty; to grant a pardon for) · nl afwerken (obsolete: to finish, accomplish) · fi armahtaa (law: to pronounce not guilty; to grant a pardon for) · tr bağışlamak (to pronounce free or give absolution) · fa آمرزیدن (theology: to pronounce free or give absolution from sin) · pt eximir (to set free) · fi todeta syyttömäksi (law: to pronounce not guilty; to grant a pardon for) · nb frikjenne (law: to pronounce not guilty; to grant a pardon for) · mi whakaharakore (to pronounce free or give absolution) · ja 解放する (to set free) · sl dati odvezo (theology: to remit a sin; to give absolution for a sin) · es absolver (to pronounce free or give absolution) · sv ge absolution åt (theology: to pronounce free or give absolution from sin) · ru отпуска́ть (theology: to pronounce free or give absolution from sin) · fi antaa anteeksi (theology: to remit a sin; to give absolution for a sin) · de lossprechen (theology: to pronounce free or give absolution from sin) · nb fullføre (obsolete: to finish, accomplish) · no frikjenne (to set free) · tr vermek (to pass a course or test; to gain credit for a class; to qualify academically) · sl odvezati (theology: to pronounce free or give absolution from sin) · pt absolver (theology: to pronounce free or give absolution from sin) · eo pekliberigi (theology: to pronounce free or give absolution from sin) · tr özgür kılmak (to set free) · nl ontslaan van een verplichting (to set free)