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forgiveness

forgiveness

333 2.2
An act of letting go of anger toward someone after they hurt you
  • noun
  • /fərˈɡɪv.nəs/
translation icon : perdón
  • He realized that forgiveness was the first step to freeing himself from past grievances.
  • ask for forgiveness
  • seek forgiveness
  • beg for forgiveness

Justice prevails, people change, forgiveness works, love triumphs.

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Examples

  • Where there is true love, forgiveness is already there.

  • I do not ask for your forgiveness.

  • You want my forgiveness, so say it again.

  • It's better to ask for forgiveness than permission.

  • To my mother, I ask forgiveness.

  • We welcome you; we invite you in; we ask your forgiveness and your understanding.

    Academic text (1994)
  • Seek ye the forgiveness of God.

  • For some, an even more difficult task is the need for forgiveness, for reconciliation.

    Academic text (1991)
  • I am worthy of forgiveness, of breath after breath.

  • We can admit our sins, seek forgiveness, and also try to make peace with our limitations.

    Academic text (1999)

Synonyms

pardon
vsforgiveness
  • Formal
252 4.2

An official act that forgives someone for a crime and ends their punishment

is about emotional letting go and ending anger rather than removing punishment
absolution
vsforgiveness
  • Formal
24 7.9

A formal act in church when a priest forgives someone's sins

is a personal process of letting go rather than a formal religious ritual
remission
vsforgiveness
  • Formal
3 7.6

Forgiving a sin or debt, often declared by a priest

is about personal letting go rather than formal declaration by clergy
remission of sin
vsforgiveness
  • Formal
1 9.4

A priest forgives a person's sins after they confess

is the personal act of letting go rather than a ritual sacramental pardon
condonement
vsforgiveness
9.6

Allowing people to do wrong without punishment or criticism

focuses on letting go of anger and resentment rather than punishment

Antonyms

172 4.2

A long, strong feeling of anger toward someone who treated you unfairly

148 4.3

A long-lasting feeling of anger or dislike because of a past hurt

How Forgiving

absolution
  • Formal
24 7.9
pardon
  • Formal
252 4.2
forgiveness
333 2.2
leniency
26 4.6

Surface Forms

forgiveness singular
forgivenesses plural

Morphology

forgiveness = forgive (transparent) = forgive + ness

Formed by a straightforward noun-forming suffix '-ness' on the verb 'forgive', so learners who know 'forgive' can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Forgiveness comes from old English parts for- 'completely' and give 'to give', so it originally meant 'to give away' a wrong or your anger. That's why forgiveness today means letting go of anger and not holding on to hurt.