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Origin and history of remission

remission(n.)

c. 1200, remissioun, "forgiveness or pardon (of sins)," from Old French remission "forgiveness (of sins), relief" (12c.) and directly from Latin remissionem (nominative remissio) "relaxation, diminishing," etymologically "a sending back, sending away," noun of action from past-participle stem of remittere "slacken, let go, abate" (see remit).

From late 14c. as "release from duty or obligation." Of diseases, fevers, "abatement, temporary subsidence," from early 15c. General sense of "diminution of force or effects" is from c. 1600. By 1736 as "abatement of penalty or punishment."

also from c. 1200

Entries linking to remission

remit(v.)

late 14c., remitten, "to forgive, pardon," from Latin remittere "send back, slacken, let go back, abate," from re- "back" (see re-) + mittere "to send" (see mission). Secondary senses predominate in English.

From c. 1400 as "refer for consideration or performance from one person or group to another;" early 15c. as "send to prison or back to prison." The meaning "allow to remain unpaid, refrain from exacting" (penalty, punishment, etc.) is from mid-15c. Meaning "send money (to someone) in payment" is recorded from 1630s. Related: Remitted; remitting.

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    absolution
    "remission, forgiveness," c. 1200, from Old French absolucion, earlier assolucion, from Latin absolutionem (nominative absolutio) "completion, acquittal," noun of action from past-participle stem of absolvere "set free, loosen, acquit," from ab "off, away from" (see ab-) + solver
    relaxation
    late 14c., relaxacioun, "a rupture, a hernia" (a sense now obsolete); mid-15c., "remission of a burden or penalty," from...Sense of "remission or abatement of rigor or intensity" is from 1690s....
    indulgence
    mid-14c., in the Church sense, "a freeing from temporal punishment for sin, remission from punishment for sin that remains...from Old French indulgence or directly from Latin indulgentia "complaisance, a yielding; fondness, tenderness, affection; remission...
    condonation
    Condonation is the remission of a matrimonial offence known to the remitting party to have been committed by the other; on...
    finance
    c. 1400, "an end, settlement, retribution," from Old French finance "end, ending; pardon, remission; payment, expense; settlement...
    release
    In law, mid-14c., "transferring of property or a right to another;" late 14c. as "release from an obligation; remission of...
    dispense
    to do what is forbidden or omit what is required" (a power of popes, bishops, etc.), and thus acquired a sense of "grant remission...
    merit
    c. 1200, "spiritual credit" (for good works, etc.); c. 1300, "spiritual reward," from Old French merite "wages, pay, reward; thanks; merit, moral worth, that which assures divine pity" (12c.) and directly from Latin meritum "a merit, service, kindness, benefit, favor; worth, valu
    mitre
    mid-14c., "bishop's tall hat," from Old French mitre and directly from Latin mitra "headband, turban," from Greek mitra "headband, turban," earlier a belt or cloth worn under armor about the waist, perhaps from PIE root *mei- "to bind, attach" (source also of Sanskrit mitra- "fri
    reprieve
    1570s, reprive, "take back to prison," alteration (perhaps by influence of reprove) of Middle English repryen "to remand, detain" (late 15c.), probably from French repris, past participle of reprendre "take back" (see reprise). Meaning "to suspend an impending execution" is recor

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