From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishreprievere‧prieve1 /rɪˈpriːv/ noun [countable] 1 SCa delay before something bad happens or continues to happen → respitereprieve from Shoppers will get a temporary reprieve from the new sales tax.2 an official order stopping the killing of a prisoner as a punishmentgive/grant somebody a reprieve The US Supreme Court voted against granting Smith a reprieve (=against giving him one).
Examples from the Corpus
reprieve• He was granted a reprieve only a few hours before his execution.• The men just need a reprieve.• But even more of a reprieve was lurking round the corner.• Fortunately, I received a reprieve because my boss had a nervous breakdown before he could implement his plan.• We might be forgiven for keeping our fingers crossed that the Council Tax will represent a reprieve.• The U.S. Supreme Court voted against granting Smith a reprieve.• But a day after the blow-up, the committee assigned to seek a compromise won a three-month reprieve.• No reprieve for the boat people.• The group protested against a possible reprieve for an inmate on death row in Texas.• According to some reports, the Government plans to limit the reprieve for some pits to just two years.give/grant somebody a reprieve• Civilization, which seemed at an end only two weeks ago, has been given a reprieve.• London zoo gets reprieve CLOSURE-threatened London Zoo has been given a last-minute reprieve because so many people want to visit it.• Bus pass reprieve: Langbaurgh pensioners' free bus passes have been given a reprieve until the end of April.• You've been given a reprieve.• He remembered how innocently they had discussed which natives they would blow to smithereens and which they would grant a reprieve to.reprievereprieve2 verb [transitive] 1 to officially stop a prisoner from being killed as a punishment2 to change a decision to close a factory, school etc or get rid of somethingGrammar Reprieve is usually passive.→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
reprieve• I suddenly realized that there were a lot of worthwhile things I could do if I were reprieved.• We want to see Eldorado reprieved.• She returned anyhow, was sentenced but reprieved, and found herself expelled for the fourth time.• Andrew Caddick was probably only reprieved by overnight rain which gave the pitch an early greenish tinge.• This great neoclassical house had been reprieved from imminent demolition in 1972 by ministers and taken into guardianship two years later.• Edward Dennis was needed to apply the penalties and so was reprieved in order that he could hang his fellow rioters.• Twenty-one had been reprieved to await a Government review.• Background Duty-free allowances will be phased out eventually, but they've been reprieved until 1999.Origin reprieve2 (1600-1700) Perhaps from Old French repris, past participle of reprendre; → REPRISE 