FORGIVENESS Synonyms: 35 Similar and Opposite Words

forgiveness

noun

fər-ˈgiv-nəs

Definition of forgiveness

as in amnesty

release from the guilt or penalty of an offense they asked her forgiveness for failing to invite her to the party

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of forgiveness The downsides of private student loans include higher interest rates and fees, fewer opportunities for loan forgiveness and more rigid repayment terms than federal loans. — Amy Deyoung, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026 Getty Images Student loan borrower advocacy groups are raising alarms over the Education Department’s recent rollback of student loan forgiveness credit, warning that the efforts could trap borrowers in debt for additional months or years. — Adam S. Minsky, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 That testimony was in contrast to David Breaux's sister, who is finding a path toward forgiveness after Dominguez killed her brother. — Steve Large, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026 The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau had also sounded the alarm in 2015 that borrowers were needlessly steered into expensive forbearances, during which interest accrues and credit toward forgiveness is paused. — Annie Nova, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for forgiveness

Recent Examples of Synonyms for forgiveness

Noun

If a salary cap and floor are instituted, they could be phased in over a few years and could include amnesty provisions that allow teams to get out of one onerous contract that would otherwise count against the cap, etc.

— Tim Britton, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Trash pickup this week is following the normal schedule, with the exception that each day is a free amnesty day for bulk pickup to help out people who have had to throw out food that couldn’t be kept refrigerated or frozen.

— Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of amnesty

Noun

Ocalan and other key PKK figures are excluded from the pardon.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
The president has also drawn scrutiny for issuing pardons to people who have publicly supported him or have business ties to him, but his pardon power is separate from the DOJ.

— Alison Durkee, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026