Skip to main content
forgivable

forgivable

7 3.3
Not very serious, so people usually excuse it
  • adjective
  • /fərˈɡɪvəbl/
translation icon : perdonable
  • What made J.R. irresistible and always forgivable was his high-spiritedness and his love of the game.
  • forgivable loan
  • forgivable loan program

But if you say something is not forgivable, what this person did was not OK.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • The teacher decided that the late homework submission was forgivable because the student had been unwell.

  • This is about being real, being fallible, being forgivable under any circumstance.

  • Your youth made it forgivable.

  • I think there are certain things that are forgivable, and it simply depends on you.

    Blog text (10)
  • But these are forgivable sins in the cat video world, it seems.

    Blog text (11)
  • The Pitt game was forgivable because it was a road game against a top 5 team.

    Blog text (13)
  • Your episode was much more forgivable and a lot funnier.

    Blog text (7)
  • Other character flaws of hers were more forgivable (immaturity, for example, and even her occasional stupidity).

    Blog text (14)
  • Forgetting your notes during the presentation was forgivable, given the stressful circumstances.

  • His mistake in the report was completely forgivable, considering he had been working late every night.

Synonyms

excusable
vsforgivable
6 3.6

Someone can forgive it because of the situation, for example an honest mistake

focuses on low seriousness rather than justification by reasons
venial
vsforgivable
3 8.3

A small mistake that can be easily forgiven

is used for offenses that are not always minor
pardonable
vsforgivable
1 4.4

Something you can forgive because it is not very bad

is used for things excused without needing formal pardon
expiable
vsforgivable
  • Formal
9.9

Can be forgiven if someone shows true regret

refers to being excused without requiring atonement or payment

Antonyms

45 5.2

So bad that people will not accept it

How Forgivable

venial
3 8.3
pardonable
1 4.4
forgivable
7 3.3
excusable
6 3.6

Surface Forms

forgivable positive
forgivable comparative
forgivable superlative

Morphology

forgivable = forgive (transparent) = forgive + able

Standard adjective formation from the verb 'forgive' with '-able' meaning 'capable of or worthy of being forgiven.'

Etymology

Forgivable comes from an old English verb made of the parts for- and give, where give means 'to give' and for- meant 'away' or 'completely'. So something forgivable is like a wrong you can 'give away' or let go of, which is why it means 'easy to excuse'.