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

This week, a chastened Summers found himself in different circumstances: standing in the well of a Harvard lecture hall, asking his students’ forgiveness as his professional life was unraveling.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In that moment, despite all that had happened, she finally did think of the unhappy Babushkinov family with something like forgiveness.

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"I will carry this sorrow in my conscience," he wrote, asking the victims' mothers for forgiveness.

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When Bash brought up some of these examples, Greene reiterated her past apologies and said a core part of her Christian faith is forgiveness.

Read more on BBC

It can’t be vague tax credits or even student loan forgiveness.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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