• Today's Word

Reprieve

🔊 Listen to the word Reprieve

rih-PREEV

Definition

(noun/verb) A temporary delay or cancellation of punishment; a temporary relief from something difficult or unpleasant.

Example

The governor granted a last-minute reprieve, postponing the execution pending further review.

Word Origin

Late 15th century: from Anglo-Norman French “repris,” past participle of “reprendre” meaning “to take back,” from Latin “reprehendere.”

Fun Fact

Reprieve’s most dramatic usage involves death penalty cases where condemned prisoners receive last-minute postponements—Hollywood loves this scenario, though real reprieves rarely arrive seconds before execution. The word originally meant “to take back,” suggesting punishment withdrawn rather than merely delayed. Unlike pardons, which cancel punishment permanently, reprieves are explicitly temporary—the sword of Damocles remains suspended overhead. Students experience reprieves when deadlines extend, homeowners get reprieves from mortgage payments during hardship, and soldiers might receive temporary reprieve from combat duty. The temporary nature makes reprieves bittersweet—relief mixed with knowledge that the difficult situation will eventually resume. Still, as Benjamin Franklin observed, reprieve is better than no relief at all, offering breathing room to prepare for inevitable challenges.