What does "absolve" mean?
To set free, release or discharge (from obligations, debts, responsibility etc.).
Absolve
/æbˈzɑlv/ verb
verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To set free, release or discharge (from obligations, debts, responsibility etc.).
- Grammar: absolve is listed as verb.
- Nearest alternatives: absolving, acquit, acquit, acquits.
- Useful contrasts: incriminating, obligated, assize.
- Usage evidence: This will never absolve Sami of the crime.
How to use "absolve"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "absolve" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "absolve" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "absolve" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "absolve" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "absolve" is acting as verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "absolving" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "absolve", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To set free, release or discharge (from obligations, debts, responsibility etc.). transitive
"You will absolve a subject from his allegiance."
- 2 let off the hook wordnet
- 3 To resolve; to explain; to solve. obsolete, transitive
"1595, George Peele, The Old Wives’ Tale, The Malone Society Reprints, 1908, lines 331-332, […] he that can monsters tame, laboures atchive, riddles absolve […]"
- 4 grant remission of a sin to wordnet
- 5 To pronounce free from or give absolution for a penalty, blame, or guilt. transitive
"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."
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 To pronounce not guilty; to grant a pardon for. transitive
"Abſolves the juſt, and dooms the guilty ſouls."
- 7 To grant a remission of sin; to give absolution to. transitive
"To make confession and to be absolved."
- 8 To remit a sin; to give absolution for a sin. transitive
"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."
- 9 To finish; to accomplish. obsolete, transitive
"and the work begun, how ſoon / Abſolv'd,"
- 10 To pass a course or test; to gain credit for a class; to qualify academically. transitive
Antonyms
Example
"This will never absolve Sami of the crime."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "absolve"?
Common synonyms include: absolving, acquit, acquit, acquits, acquitted, acquitting.
How do you use "absolve" in a sentence?
This will never absolve Sami of the crime.
How do you pronounce "absolve"?
Pronounced /æbˈzɑlv/.
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.