PsychologyAugust 27, 2026
absolution
ab-suh-LOO-shun
Definition
The act of being formally released from blame, debt, or the consequences of one's wrongdoing.
Etymology
Derived from the Latin 'absolutio,' meaning 'a setting free' or 'acquittal,' it entered English via Old French to describe the granting of forgiveness for sins or offenses.
In the news
The author advises that a genuine apology should not include a request for absolution, as seeking it shifts the focus away from the damage caused to others and back onto the wrongdoer's own need for comfort.
Psychology says people who have made peace with their worst choices aren't usually in denial or pretending; they've done something harder, which is to find the thread of meaning in something that genuinely hurt them or someone else
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