forgiveness
noun
- renunciation or cessation of resentment, indignation or anger
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /fəˈɡɪvnəs/ / /fɚˈɡɪvnəs/
noun
Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? Proto-Indo-European *pér Proto-Indo-European *-o Proto-Indo-European *pró Proto-Indo-European *pro- Proto-Germanic *fra- Proto-Indo-European *gʰebʰ- Proto-Germanic *gebaną ▲ Late Latin perdōnōcalq. Proto-Germanic *fragebaną Old English forġiefan Proto-Germanic *-in- Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ti Proto-Germanic *-ōną Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Old English forġiefnes Middle English forgiveness English forgiveness From Middle English forgiveness, forgifnes, from Old English forġiefnes. By surface analysis, forgive + -ness. Cognate with Dutch vergiffenis.
- The action of forgiving.
“He begged for forgiveness after being caught stealing from the shop.”
“At the end of a week, she could bear the suspense no longer, and so went humbly to her old home and sought forgiveness.”
- A readiness to forgive.
“If thou, Lord, shouldest marke iniquities: O Lord, who shal stand? But there is forgiuenesse with thee: that thou mayest be feared.”
“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”