self-pardon

noun

A pardon granted to oneself.

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Meanings

nounself-pardon (plural self-pardons)

plural self-pardons

  1. A pardon granted to oneself.
    1 more example

    While there are arguments against self-pardons as improper forms of “self-dealing,” this is not one of them. The language in question has nothing to do with a self-pardon or even most pardon controversies. It simply means that a president cannot use pardon authority to prevent the impeachment of an executive branch official (including himself).

    2018 June 4, Jonathan Turley, “Yes, Donald Trump can pardon himself, but it would be a disastrous idea”, in USA Today
verbself-pardon (third-person singular simple present self-pardons, present participle self-pardoning, simple past and past participle self-pardoned)

present singular third person self-pardons · participle present self-pardoning · participle past self-pardoned · past self-pardoned

  1. intransitiveTo grant a pardon to oneself.

Origin

From self- + pardon.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

self-pardon. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/self-pardon

MLA

“self-pardon.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/self-pardon. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “self-pardon,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/self-pardon.

Source: self-pardon on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.