no harm, no foul

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word no harm, no foul. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word no harm, no foul, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say no harm, no foul in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word no harm, no foul you have here. The definition of the word no harm, no foul will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofno harm, no foul, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

English

Etymology

From informal instances of sports, in which a foul is a formal violation of the rules.

Pronunciation

  • (file)

Phrase

no harm, no foul

  1. Although technically a breach of some code or law may have occurred, there was no actual damage meriting punishment, apology or retribution.
    He parked in my space, but I was away at the time: no harm, no foul.

Usage notes

Phrases with the same construction (i.e. no x, no y) are common and productive. See the related terms below. Compare the expression de minimis non curat lex (the law will not cure (or concern itself with) trifles), de minimis.

Synonyms

See also

References

  1. ^ Bryan A. Garner (editor-in-chief), Black's Law Dictionary, Seventh Edition, West (publisher, 1999), page 443.