reprieve
vb tr
1 to postpone or remit the punishment of (a person, esp. one condemned to death)
2 to give temporary relief to (a person or thing), esp. from otherwise irrevocable harm
the government has reprieved the company with a huge loan
n
3 a postponement or remission of punishment, esp. of a person condemned to death
4 a warrant granting a postponement
5 a temporary relief from pain or harm; respite
6 the act of reprieving or the state of being reprieved
(C16: from Old French repris (something) taken back, from reprendre to take back, from Latin reprehendere; perhaps also influenced by obsolete English repreve to reprove)
♦
reprievable adj
♦
repriever n
English Collins Dictionary - English Definition & Thesaurus
reprieve
vb
1 grant a stay of execution to, let off the hook (slang) pardon, postpone or remit the punishment of
2 abate, allay, alleviate, mitigate, palliate, relieve, respite
n
3 abeyance, amnesty, deferment, pardon, postponement, remission, stay of execution, suspension
4 abatement, alleviation, let-up (informal) mitigation, palliation, relief, respite
English Collins Dictionary - English synonyms & Thesaurus
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