forgive

for·give

verb

The definition of forgive is to let go of anger, blame or resentment towards someone and return to friendly relations.

When you are angry at someone for lying and he apologizes and you let it go and decide not to be angry any more, this is an example of a situation where you forgive.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"forgive." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 09 April 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/forgive>.

APA Style

forgive. (n.d.). Retrieved April 09th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/forgive

forgive

transitive verb

-·gave′, -·giv′en, -·giv′ing

to give up resentment against or the desire to punish; stop being angry with; pardon
to give up all claim to punish or exact penalty for (an offense); overlook
to cancel or remit (a debt)

Origin of forgive

Middle English forgeven from Old English forgiefan, forgifan (akin to German vergeben): see for- and give

to show forgiveness; be inclined to forgive

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"forgive." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 09 April 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/forgive>.

APA Style

forgive. (n.d.). Retrieved April 09th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/forgive

forgive

verb

for·gave, for·giv·en, for·giv·ing, for·gives

verb

transitive

To give up resentment against or stop wanting to punish (someone) for an offense or fault; pardon.
To relent in being angry or in wishing to exact punishment for (an offense or fault).
To absolve from payment of (a debt, for example).

verb

intransitive

To grant forgiveness.

Origin of forgive

Middle English forgiven from Old English forgiefan ; see ghabh- in Indo-European roots.

Related Forms:

for·giv′a·ble
adjective

for·giv′a·bly
adverb

for·giv′er
noun

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"forgive." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 09 April 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/forgive>.

APA Style

forgive. (n.d.). Retrieved April 09th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/forgive

forgive

forgive pardon excuse condone

These verbs mean to refrain from imposing punishment on an offender or demanding satisfaction for an offense. The first three can be used as conventional ways of offering apology. More strictly, to forgive is to grant pardon without harboring resentment: “Children begin by loving their parents; as they grow older they judge them; sometimes they forgive them” (Oscar Wilde). Pardon more strongly implies release from the liability for or penalty entailed by an offense: After the revolution all political prisoners were pardoned. To excuse is to pass over a mistake or fault without demanding punishment or redress: “There are some acts of injustice which no national interest can excuse” (J.A. Froude). To condone is to overlook an offense, usually a serious one, and often suggests tacit forgiveness: Failure to protest the policy may imply a willingness to condone it.

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"forgive." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 09 April 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/forgive>.

APA Style

forgive. (n.d.). Retrieved April 09th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/forgive

Verb

(third-person singular simple present forgives, present participle forgiving, simple past forgave, past participle forgiven)

To pardon, to waive any negative feeling or desire for punishment.
Only the brave know how to forgive...A coward never forgave; it is not in his nature. - Laurence Sterne
(intransitive) To accord forgiveness.

Origin

Middle English forgiven (“to forgive”), from Old English forġiefan (“to forgive, give up, provide”), corresponding to for- +‎ give. Cognate with Dutch vergeven, German vergeben.

English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.