forgiveness

noun

for·​give·​ness fər-ˈgiv-nəs 

fȯr-

: the act of forgiving

I ask for your forgiveness.

Synonyms

• amnesty
• pardon

Examples of forgiveness in a Sentence

She treats us with kindness and forgiveness.

they asked her forgiveness for failing to invite her to the party

Recent Examples on the Web

But even this nod to forgiveness is relatively punishing, since the health refill freezes your character in a defenseless pose for a few seconds. —ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2025

Since its creation in 2007, only about 2% of applicants had successfully received forgiveness before the pandemic, largely due to confusing eligibility rules and administrative mismanagement. —Leadership Brainery, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025

At least one woman who spoke Monday expressed hope that Pratt could change his life and offered him forgiveness. —Alex Riggins, Mercury News, 9 Sep. 2025

Even until the very end, Denny Hamlin is staying true to his colors and asking for forgiveness later. —Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for forgiveness

• liveness

Kids Definition

forgiveness

noun

for·​give·​ness fər-ˈgiv-nəs 

fȯr-

: the act of forgiving : pardon