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.
“I’m not asking for sympathy, or a free pass,” Ye said, “though I aspire to earn your forgiveness.”
I tried to ask for forgiveness by giving them candied figs.
From Literature
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He said he is not seeking “sympathy, or a free pass,” but rather forgiveness and patience “as I find my way home.”
From Los Angeles Times
“I’m not asking for sympathy, or a free pass, though I aspire to earn your forgiveness. I write today simply to ask for your patience and understanding as I find my way home.”
From Salon
Her story of forgiveness in the face of a heartbreaking tragedy has become a sell-out theatre show in both London and New York.
From BBC
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.