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Synonyms

forgiveness

American  
[fer-giv-nis] / fərˈgɪv nɪs /

noun

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

  2. disposition or willingness to forgive.


forgiveness British  
/ fəˈɡɪvnɪs /

noun

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

  2. willingness to forgive

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • preforgiveness noun

Etymology

Origin of forgiveness

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

And then—maybe—an acknowledgment that forgiveness is a virtue.

From The Wall Street Journal

They fell on the ground and tearfully begged forgiveness.

From The Wall Street Journal

China’s Mao Zedong forced party officials to give self-corrective monologues in which they asked forgiveness for their own stupidity and failing to follow his wise leadership.

From Salon

Accordingly, her payments then don’t count toward the 120 payments required to earn public service loan forgiveness.

From Salon

In it, she reflects on how she found forgiveness and why she encourages open communication between victims and perpetrators of crime.

From BBC