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
They fell on the ground and tearfully begged forgiveness.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026
Fast forward to 2026, when the avenues to make affordable payments or obtain forgiveness have dried up.
From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026
In a matter of weeks, she received forgiveness, a development Boyer calls “a godsend.”
From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026
“I’m just saying, that girl gives away forgiveness like it’s candy, then she comes over here licking her wounds when things don’t work out the way she wants. If it were me, I’d...”
From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers
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.
