as in forgiveness
release from the guilt or penalty of an offense
the jury's verdict of "not guilty" was absolution in the eyes of the law, but the verdict would always be "guilty" in the court of public opinion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of absolution
Garner’s version of the character (who has since been played by Elodie Yung on Netflix) isn’t particularly well regarded by fans, but the character’s poor reception plays into her story here as someone searching for absolution and a way to bring her story to fruition.
—
Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 25 July 2024
But in seeking absolution before death, Protestant suicides-by-proxy were pursuing a Catholic goal.
—Katrina Gulliver, JSTOR Daily, 13 Mar. 2023
The Saints are coming off of a 51-27 drubbing by Tampa Bay last Sunday and are certainly looking for some absolution from their gridiron sins.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2024
Reagan latched on to something deep in the national psyche—a need for absolution, perhaps, strongly felt in the dour nineteen-seventies.
—Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for absolution 
Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 25 July 2024
But in seeking absolution before death, Protestant suicides-by-proxy were pursuing a Catholic goal.
—Katrina Gulliver, JSTOR Daily, 13 Mar. 2023
The Saints are coming off of a 51-27 drubbing by Tampa Bay last Sunday and are certainly looking for some absolution from their gridiron sins.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2024
Reagan latched on to something deep in the national psyche—a need for absolution, perhaps, strongly felt in the dour nineteen-seventies.
—Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for absolution
Recent Examples of Synonyms for absolution
Noun
-
The Biden administration made two more attempts to enact mass student loan forgiveness.—
Adam S. Minsky,
Forbes,
20 Jan. 2025
-
Trump has criticized the scope of Biden's student loan forgiveness.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
18 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
The word ‘amnesty’ is extra charged in current Spanish politics, given current Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, of the socialist PSOE party, heads a coalition whose survival depends on support from the Catalan nationalist party Junts.—
Dermot Corrigan,
The Athletic,
13 Jan. 2025
-
Spencer took issue with revisionists who glossed over parts of Reagan’s record — raising taxes, increasing the size of the federal government, signing a law that gave amnesty to millions of immigrants in the U.S. illegally — that contravened the Reagan myth.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Shocking Photos of the Violent Riots at the U.S. Capitol The Times also reports that Hemphill may face some legal challenges in rejecting the pardon.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
24 Jan. 2025
-
Matthew Graves, the now-former U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, said the pardons can’t erase what people witnessed.—
Post-Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Jan. 2025
Articles Related to absolution
Thesaurus Entries Near absolution
Cite this Entry
“Absolution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/absolution. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share