Skip to content

The word for today is…

absolve (verb):

1 formal : to set (someone) free from an obligation or the consequences of guilt
2 formal : to pardon or forgive (a sin) : to remit (a sin) by absolution

Source : Merriam -Webster

Etymology : The act of absolving can be seen as releasing someone from blame or sin, or “loosening” the hold that responsibility or guilt has on a person, which provides a hint about the word’s origins. Absolve was adopted into Middle English in the 15th century from the Latin verb absolvere (“to release, acquit, finish, complete”), formed by combining the prefix ab- (“from, away, off”) with solvere, meaning “to loosen.” Absolve also once had additional senses of “to finish or accomplish” and “to resolve or explain,” but these are now obsolete. Solvere is also the ancestor of the English words solve, dissolve, resolve, solvent, and solution.

If you enjoyed this BFD word of the day please consider sharing it with your friends and, especially, your children.

Latest

Cartoon: Christopher Luxon and a bald Chris Hipkins tug over a single comb in a parliamentary lobby while David Seymour leans on a pillar, arms folded, smirking.

Reality Wants Its Money Back

David Seymour has called the government’s path to surplus “heroic”, four days before National shows its fiscal plan. When the junior partner says that about your books, believe him.

Members Public
The Good Oil Word of the Day

The Good Oil Word of the Day

The word for today is… horticulture (noun) - : the science and art of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, or ornamental plants Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : Hortus is Latin for "garden", and the first gardens were planted about 10,000 years ago in what is often called the Fertile Crescent—the

Members Public