noun
-
the act of forgiving or the state of being forgiven
-
willingness to forgive
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 • Mar. 19, 2026
Her home, health and car insurance have all increased, as has her mortgage, but she can’t defer her student loan payments because she must stay current on them to obtain public service loan forgiveness.
From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026
In a matter of weeks, she received forgiveness, a development Boyer calls “a godsend.”
From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026
He spent about 14 months in federal prison and later blamed the loan forgiveness on bad advice from lawyers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026
I begged God forgiveness for my sins over and over.
From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
