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.
They fell on the ground and tearfully begged forgiveness.
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
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
In it, she reflects on how she found forgiveness and why she encourages open communication between victims and perpetrators of crime.
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.
