What does reprieving mean?
Reprieving is the present participle of reprieve, a verb meaning to grant temporary relief from a difficulty or penalty. In legal contexts, it most often means postponing the execution of a sentence, although the term can also refer more broadly to sparing someone from punishment. The -ing form appears naturally in phrases such as reprieving a prisoner from execution or a decision that reprieves a vulnerable defendant. Reprieving carries a distinctly formal, often dramatic tone because it evokes the possibility of execution and the suspense surrounding a last-minute reprieve. Outside law, it can describe any action that temporarily eases pressure: a break, subsidy, or delay may be described as reprieving. The related noun reprieve denotes that temporary relief, while the base verb forms such as reprieved and reprieves appear in ordinary prose. The word is especially useful for describing relief that is temporary rather than complete.
verbGranting temporary relief from a punishment, penalty, hardship, or other difficulty. In legal contexts, it often means postponing the execution of a sentence.
- To grant temporary relief from a punishment, penalty, hardship, or difficulty, especially by postponing the execution of a sentence.
"The court agreed to reprieve the prisoner from execution."
"The appeal was successful, reprieving the prisoner from execution."
"The unexpected subsidy was reprieving several struggling families from eviction."
A reprieve is a rescue in law: it can turn an imminent execution into time to live.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does reprieving come from?
The word comes through French from Latin reperire, combining the prefix re- with perire, meaning “to perish.” The literal sense of finding or arriving at something in the Latin phrase shifted over time toward the legal idea of sparing or postponing a condemned person. Several English words, including perish, repertoire, and repertory, reflect the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How reprieving is actually used
The word is chiefly formal and often has a legal or dramatic tone. Outside legal contexts, it can describe any temporary relief from pressure or difficulty. The related noun is reprieve.