pardoner

/ˈpɑrdənər/
noun
  1. A person who forgives or grants a pardon.
    • The king acted as a pardoner, releasing the prisoners after the celebration.
    • She was a generous pardoner, always ready to forgive her friends' mistakes.
    • In some traditions, the priest is seen as a pardoner of sins.
  2. In medieval times, a person who sold official church pardons or indulgences.
    • Many people distrusted the pardoner because he seemed more interested in money than in forgiveness.
    • The pardoner traveled from town to town selling documents that claimed to reduce punishment for sins.
    • Chaucer's 'The Pardoner's Tale' tells the story of a dishonest pardoner.
What does "pardoner" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean