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Commute vs. Pardon — What's the Difference?

By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on November 4, 2023
Commute refers to reducing a judicial sentence, while pardon is a complete forgiveness of a crime, often by a head of state.
Commute vs. Pardon — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Commute and Pardon

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Key Differences

Commute is the action of reducing a prisoner’s sentence to one less severe, often due to good behavior or other factors considered by the judicial system. It changes the terms but does not erase the conviction. Commutation is specific to the legal and penal system, reflecting a change in punishment.
Pardon is a government act that completely forgives an individual for their crimes and nullifies the associated penalties. It is often granted by a head of state or a higher authority and can absolve legal consequences, restoring the individual's rights. A pardon can be seen as an act of mercy.
Commute and pardon both involve alterations to an individual’s legal status, but commute typically adjusts the length or type of sentence without clearing the person’s criminal record. The commutation is a form of legal leniency that acknowledges the crime but reduces the penalty.
On the other hand, pardon implies forgiveness and often eliminates all punishments and legal ramifications tied to the offense. Pardon can have a broader social and moral implication, suggesting rehabilitation or forgiveness of the individual by the society or state.
Both commute and pardon are prerogatives within the judicial and executive branches of government, reflecting a societal capacity for leniency and mercy. While commute amends the punishment, pardon addresses the crime itself, often erasing it from public record.
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Comparison Chart

Definition

Reduction of a sentence's severity
Full legal forgiveness of a crime

Legal Effect

Alters sentence; conviction stands
Nullifies conviction; restores rights

Authority

Usually judicial or executive
Typically a head of state or governor

Frequency

More common than pardons
Less common; often high-profile cases

Record

Criminal record remains
Criminal record may be expunged

Compare with Definitions

Commute

To commute means to travel regularly over some distance, as from a suburb into a city and back.
He commutes to downtown daily for work.

Pardon

To pardon means to release an individual from any further punishment for a crime.
He was pardoned and released from prison after new evidence emerged.

Commute

Commute in law means to reduce a judicial sentence to one less severe.
Her life sentence was commuted to 20 years.

Pardon

Pardon is used to ask for forgiveness for a slight or faux pas.
Pardon me for interrupting, she said as she entered the room.

Commute

To travel as a commuter
She commuted each day to her office downtown by subway.

Pardon

A pardon is the act of forgiving someone for an offense or crime.
The governor issued a pardon to the wrongly accused man.

Commute

To make substitution or exchange.

Pardon

A pardon can also refer to the Christian sacrament of absolution.
The priest gave a pardon to the penitent after confession.

Commute

To serve as a substitute.

Pardon

A pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction. A pardon may be granted before or after conviction for the crime, depending on the laws of the jurisdiction.Pardons can be granted in many countries when individuals are deemed to have demonstrated that they have "paid their debt to society", or are otherwise considered to be deserving of them.

Commute

To pay in gross, usually at a reduced rate, rather than in individual payments.

Pardon

The action of forgiving or being forgiven for an error or offence
He obtained pardon for his sins

Commute

Mathematics & Logic To satisfy a commutative property. If a × b = b × a, then a commutes with b, regardless of whether the operation indicated by × is commutative.

Pardon

Forgive or excuse (a person, error, or offence)
I know Catherine will pardon me

Commute

To substitute (one thing for another); exchange.

Pardon

A request to a speaker to repeat something because one did not hear or understand it
‘Pardon?’ I said, cupping a hand to my ear

Commute

To change (a penalty, debt, or payment) to a less severe one.

Pardon

To release (a person) from punishment or disfavor for wrongdoing or a fault
A convicted criminal who was pardoned by the governor.

Commute

An act or instance of commuting, especially the trip made by a commuter
A 22-mile commute.
An easy commute.

Pardon

To allow (an offense or fault) to pass without punishment or disfavor.

Commute

To exchange substantially; to abate but not abolish completely, a penalty, obligation, or payment in return for a great, single thing or an aggregate; to cash in; to lessen
To commute tithes into rentcharges for a sum
To commute market rents for a premium
To commute daily fares for a season ticket

Pardon

To make courteous allowance for; excuse
Pardon me, I'm in a hurry.

Commute

To pay, or arrange to pay, in advance, in a lump sum instead of part by part.
To commute the daily toll for a year's pass

Pardon

The act of pardoning.

Commute

To reduce the sentence previously given for a criminal offense.
His prison sentence was commuted to probation.

Pardon

Exemption of a convicted person from the penalties of an offense or crime by the power of the executor of the laws.

Commute

To pay out the lumpsum present value of an annuity, instead of paying in instalments; to cash in; to encash

Pardon

An official document or warrant declaring such an exemption.

Commute

To obtain or bargain for exemption or substitution;

Pardon

Allowance or forgiveness for an offense or a discourtesy
Begged the host's pardon for leaving early.

Commute

Of an operation, to be commutative, i.e. to have the property that changing the order of the operands does not change the result.
A pair of matrices share the same set of eigenvectors if and only if they commute.

Pardon

Roman Catholic Church An indulgence.

Commute

To regularly travel from one's home to one's workplace or school, or vice versa.
I commute from Brooklyn to Manhattan by bicycle.

Pardon

Forgiveness for an offence.

Commute

To regularly travel from one place to another using public transport.

Pardon

(legal) An order that releases a convicted criminal without further punishment, prevents future punishment, or (in some jurisdictions) removes an offence from a person's criminal record, as if it had never been committed.

Commute

(intransitive) To journey, to make a journey

Pardon

(transitive) To forgive (a person).

Commute

A regular journey between two places, typically home and work.

Pardon

(transitive) To refrain from exacting as a penalty.

Commute

The route, time or distance of that journey.

Pardon

To grant an official pardon for a crime.

Commute

To exchange; to put or substitute something else in place of, as a smaller penalty, obligation, or payment, for a greater, or a single thing for an aggregate; hence, to lessen; to diminish; as, to commute a sentence of death to one of imprisonment for life; to commute tithes; to commute charges for fares.
The sounds water and fire, being once annexed to those two elements, it was certainly more natural to call beings participating of the first "watery", and the last "fiery", than to commute the terms, and call them by the reverse.
The utmost that could be obtained was that her sentence should be commuted from burning to beheading.

Pardon

Often used when someone does not understand what another person says.

Commute

To obtain or bargain for exemption or substitution; to effect a commutation.
He . . . thinks it unlawful to commute, and that he is bound to pay his vow in kind.

Pardon

The act of pardoning; forgiveness, as of an offender, or of an offense; release from penalty; remission of punishment; absolution.
Pardon, my lord, for me and for my tidings.
But infinite in pardon was my judge.

Commute

To pay, or arrange to pay, in gross instead of part by part; as, to commute for a year's travel over a route.

Pardon

An official warrant of remission of penalty.
Sign me a present pardon for my brother.

Commute

To travel regularly from a place of residence to another place, such as where one's daily work is performed. Often, such travel is performed between a suburb and a nearby city; as, to commute to work.

Pardon

The state of being forgiven.

Commute

Transpose and remain equal in value;
These operators commute with each other

Pardon

A release, by a sovereign, or officer having jurisdiction, from the penalties of an offense, being distinguished from amnesty, which is a general obliteration and canceling of a particular line of past offenses.

Commute

Travel back and forth regularly, as between one's place of work and home

Pardon

To absolve from the consequences of a fault or the punishment of crime; to free from penalty; - applied to the offender.
In this thing the Lord pardon thy servant.
I pray you, pardon me; pray heartily, pardon me.

Commute

Change the order or arrangement of;
Dyslexics often transpose letters in a word

Pardon

To remit the penalty of; to suffer to pass without punishment; to forgive; - applied to offenses.
I pray thee, pardon my sin.
Apollo, pardonMy great profaneness 'gainst thine oracle!

Commute

Exchange a penalty for a less severe one

Pardon

To refrain from exacting as a penalty.
I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it.

Commute

Exchange or replace with another, usually of the same kind or category;
Could you convert my dollars into pounds?
He changed his name
Convert centimeters into inches
Convert holdings into shares

Pardon

To give leave (of departure) to.
Even now about it! I will pardon you.

Commute

To commute can also mean to exchange or substitute.
You can often commute your benefits for cash.

Pardon

The act of excusing a mistake or offense

Commute

In mathematics, to commute means for two elements to give the same result, regardless of order.
The operation is commutative since a * b = b * a.

Pardon

A warrant granting release from punishment for an offense

Commute

Commute can refer to making a journey that is repeated or regular.
She enjoys her morning commute on the bike path.

Pardon

The formal act of liberating someone

Pardon

Accept an excuse for;
Please excuse my dirty hands

Pardon

Grant a pardon to;
Ford pardoned Nixon
The Thanksgiving turkey was pardoned by the President

Pardon

In informal use, pardon can express disbelief or ask for repetition.
Pardon? he said when he didn't catch her whisper.

Common Curiosities

Does commute always involve a reduction in jail time?

In a legal context, yes, it specifically refers to sentence reduction.

Is a pardon the same as an acquittal?

No, an acquittal is a legal judgment of not guilty, while a pardon is forgiveness for a convicted crime.

Can a sentence be commuted more than once?

Yes, theoretically a sentence can be commuted multiple times.

Can a commute be reversed?

No, once a sentence is commuted, it cannot be reversed.

Does a pardon clear your criminal record?

It can, depending on the laws of the jurisdiction.

Can anyone apply for a pardon?

Generally, there are specific eligibility requirements for applying for a pardon.

Is commuting a sentence a right?

No, it's a privilege granted by the authorities.

Can commuted sentences be conditional?

Yes, conditions can be placed on the individual when commuting a sentence.

Are pardons only granted by the president?

In the U.S., pardons are typically granted by the president, but governors can also grant them for state offenses.

Who qualifies for a pardon?

Eligibility for a pardon varies and usually involves factors like time since conviction and behavior.

Are commutations public record?

Yes, they are generally a matter of public record.

Can a pardon be granted posthumously?

Yes, pardons can be and have been granted posthumously.

Do pardons forgive civil liabilities?

No, civil liabilities typically remain despite a criminal pardon.

Is there a limit to how many pardons one person can receive?

Legally, there's no limit, but it's rare for individuals to receive multiple pardons.

What is the process for a sentence commute?

It usually involves a review by a parole board or a recommendation to the executive authority.

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Author Spotlight

Written by
Tayyaba Rehman
Tayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.

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