forgiveness

[fer-giv-nis]

noun

1. act of forgiving; forgive; state of being forgiven.

2. disposition or willingness to forgive.

forgiveness

/ fəˈɡɪvnɪs /

noun

1. the act of forgiving or the state of being forgiven

2. willingness to forgive

Other Word Forms

• preforgiveness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of forgiveness¹

before 900; Middle English forgifenesse, Old English forgifennys. See forgive, -ness

Example Sentences

The author of “Euphoria” and “Writers & Lovers” explores the nature of friendship, desire, jealousy and forgiveness in a campus novel about three young people who often see the world through the books they read.

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The farmers—some former soldiers who had bled for the cause—sought debt forgiveness in the 1780s.

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Under Islamic law, which operates alongside common law in Pakistan, the family of a killed relative can accept financial compensation from the perpetrators in exchange for forgiveness, leaving them free from prosecution.

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On one side is the brash, Silicon Valley “move fast and break things” ethos, where asking for forgiveness is seen as preferable to asking for permission.

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In 2022, it said longtime borrowers who consolidated their loans may be eligible for forgiveness under a one-time policy.

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Related Words

• absolution 
• amnesty 
• clemency 
• compassion 
• dispensation 
• grace 
• mercy 
• remission 
• reprieve 
• vindication