Pronunciation: /rɪˈpriv/

Definitions of reprieve

noun a cancellation or postponement of a punishment or obligation

Example Sentences

A1 The prisoner was granted a reprieve from his sentence.

A2 The student felt a sense of reprieve after finishing their exams.

B1 The company's financial troubles were temporarily alleviated by a reprieve in their debt payments.

B2 The ceasefire provided a much-needed reprieve for the war-torn country.

C1 The unexpected reprieve in the court case gave the defendant hope for a positive outcome.

C2 The reprieve in the form of a vacation allowed the overworked executive to relax and recharge.

verb to cancel or postpone a punishment or obligation

Example Sentences

A1 The prisoner was granted a reprieve from his sentence.

A2 The student was reprieved from taking the final exam due to illness.

B1 The company reprieved the employee from termination by giving him a warning.

B2 The government decided to reprieve the condemned criminal and commute his sentence to life imprisonment.

C1 The president issued a last-minute reprieve to stop the execution of the convicted murderer.

C2 The judge had the power to reprieve the defendant and grant a new trial based on new evidence.

Examples of reprieve in a Sentence

formal The judge granted a temporary reprieve to the defendant.

informal The boss gave us a reprieve from the deadline.

slang I was so relieved when I got a reprieve from that boring meeting.

figurative The rain provided a much-needed reprieve from the summer heat.

Grammatical Forms of reprieve

past tense

reprieved

plural

reprieves

comparative

more reprieved

superlative

most reprieved

present tense

reprieves

future tense

will reprieve

perfect tense

has reprieved

continuous tense

is reprieving

singular

reprieve

positive degree

reprieve

infinitive

to reprieve

gerund

reprieving

participle

reprieved

Origin and Evolution of reprieve

First Known Use: 1250 year
Language of Origin: Old French
Story behind the word: The word 'reprieve' originated from the Old French word 'reprever', which came from the Latin word 'reprehendere' meaning 'to hold back'.
Evolution of the word: Originally used in legal contexts to refer to a temporary suspension of punishment, the word 'reprieve' has evolved to also mean a temporary relief or delay from something unpleasant.