1. The act of absolving or the state of being absolved.
2. The formal remission of sin imparted by a priest, as in the sacrament of penance.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin absolūtiō, acquittal, from absolūtus, past participle of absolvere, to absolve. See absolute.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.