forgiveness

noun

for·​give·​ness fər-ˈgiv-nəs How to pronounce forgiveness (audio)
fȯr-
: the act of forgiving
I ask for your forgiveness.

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 In the first five days of the fee forgiveness program, which runs through March, WPL said the library cleared over 400 accounts of fines. Becca Longmire, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 Prior to 2021, only a few thousand borrowers had been approved for student loan forgiveness under the PSLF program. Adam S. Minsky, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Should President Joe Biden succeed in implementing his student loan forgiveness plan, that could aid in bolstering consumer spending. Paolo Confino, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2024 Biden, at Culver City stop, announces $1.2 billion in student debt forgiveness. Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2024 Education officials said borrowers will see forgiveness reflected on their accounts in the coming weeks. Haley Bemiller, The Enquirer, 23 Feb. 2024 That forgiveness plan was estimated to cost $400 billion. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 22 Feb. 2024 Meanwhile, conservative groups sued to block Biden’s effort to provide $39 billion in forgiveness to longtime borrowers. Toluse Olorunnipa, Washington Post, 21 Feb. 2024 Last fall, the Tax Foundation suggested that 13 states (Arkansas, Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin) could treat student loan forgiveness as taxable income. Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'forgiveness.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of forgiveness was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near forgiveness

Cite this Entry

“Forgiveness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forgiveness. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

forgiveness

noun
for·​give·​ness fər-ˈgiv-nəs How to pronounce forgiveness (audio)
fȯr-
: the act of forgiving : pardon

More from Merriam-Webster on forgiveness

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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