forgiveness
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the act of deciding not to be angry with someone anymore for something they did wrong.
the intentional process of letting go of resentment or vengeance toward a person or group who has harmed you.
Simple“She asked for his forgiveness after she realized how much her words had hurt him.”
In context“The victim's family eventually granted the defendant forgiveness, a gesture that profoundly moved everyone present in the courtroom.”
UsageUsually uncountable; often used with the verbs 'ask for', 'seek', or 'grant'.
PitfallHe asked for the forgiveness. He asked for forgiveness.As an abstract noun, 'forgiveness' usually does not take the definite article 'the' when used in a general sense.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
the quality of being a person who is ready and willing to forgive others.
the disposition or character trait of being ready to pardon others' transgressions.
Simple“His heart was full of forgiveness, so he never stayed angry for long.”
In context“The spiritual leader emphasized that true forgiveness requires a strength of character that many find difficult to cultivate.”
UsageFunctions as an abstract uncountable noun.
SynonymsAntonyms
“The teenager put out a video apologising for her language and seeking forgiveness.”
“At a pre-sentencing hearing last year, Wilkinson said he had forgiven Erin Patterson for trying to murder him but could not offer her forgiveness for killing three other people with poisoned beef wellingtons.”
From Middle English forgiveness, forgifnes, from Old English forġiefnes, equivalent to forgive + -ness. Cognate with Dutch vergiffenis.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.