forgiveness
decision to stop being angry
The act of stopping your anger toward someone who did something bad to you and not wanting to hurt or punish them anymore.
[someone] asks for / offers / grants forgiveness for [something]
- After months of silence, he finally asked her for forgiveness.
- Her forgiveness allowed the family to heal after the argument.
- They met in person so he could offer a sincere apology and seek her forgiveness.
- Forgiveness does not mean forgetting what happened, but choosing not to stay angry.
- The letter was a plea for forgiveness, not an attempt to make excuses.
- She asked her friend for forgiveness after she shouted at him.
- He gave his brother forgiveness and they became close again.
- Forgiveness can make you feel calm instead of angry.
- The child cried and begged for forgiveness from his mother.
- Forgiveness is important if you want to fix a relationship.
quality of being forgiving
A kind way of thinking where you are ready to forgive people instead of staying angry with them.
[someone] shows / has [great] forgiveness toward [someone]
- Her forgiveness and patience with her children are remarkable.
- The speech called for forgiveness and unity after years of conflict.
- He admired his grandfather’s deep forgiveness, even toward people who had betrayed him.
- Forgiveness is a central value in many families and communities.
- In moments like this, forgiveness can be more powerful than punishment.
- Her forgiveness makes it easy to talk about mistakes.
- His heart is full of love and forgiveness.
- The teacher showed forgiveness and did not punish the students.
- Forgiveness can help people live in peace.
- We need more kindness and forgiveness in the world.
God’s or a deity’s pardon
In religion, when God or another god takes away a person’s sin or blame, so the person is no longer guilty in a spiritual way.
[someone] seeks / receives / prays for forgiveness of [sins]
- He went to the temple to pray for forgiveness of his sins.
- Many religious traditions teach that forgiveness comes through sincere repentance.
- She believed that God’s forgiveness gave her a chance to begin again.
- The priest spoke about the power of divine forgiveness during the service.
- For them, forgiveness from God was more important than human approval.
- He asked God for forgiveness for his lies.
- The church teaches about the forgiveness of sins.
- They pray every day for God’s love and forgiveness.
- She believed she had received God’s forgiveness.
- In this religion, forgiveness is possible if you are truly sorry.
official cancellation of a debt
When a bank, government, or other group decides that you do not have to pay back some or all of your debt or tax.
[authority] grants / offers [loan/debt] forgiveness to [someone]
- The government announced a new student loan forgiveness program for low-income graduates.
- After the disaster, the bank offered partial mortgage forgiveness to affected homeowners.
- Debt forgiveness was a key part of the country’s economic recovery plan.
- Activists are calling for complete loan forgiveness for medical debt.
- Tax forgiveness was granted to businesses that kept all of their employees.
- The bank gave him loan forgiveness after he lost his job.
- Student loan forgiveness is an important topic in the news.
- Debt forgiveness can help poor countries start again.
- She hopes for loan forgiveness so she can buy a home.
- The new law includes tax forgiveness for small companies.
design’s tolerance of user error
In design or sports, how well a tool or system still works when a person does not use it perfectly or makes a mistake.
[product/system] offers / has [a lot of] forgiveness for [user errors]
- The new driver-assistance system has more forgiveness for minor steering errors.
- These golf clubs offer extra forgiveness, making them ideal for beginners.
- Good user-interface design builds in forgiveness so that one wrong click does not cause serious problems.
- We designed the process with enough forgiveness to handle late data and small input mistakes.
- A lack of forgiveness in the controls makes the machine hard for new operators to use.
- This golf club has a lot of forgiveness, so bad hits still go straight.
- Good software should have some forgiveness for user mistakes.
- The engineer added more forgiveness to the system to make it safer.
- Because of the forgiveness in the design, new workers can learn quickly.
- A product with more forgiveness is easier for people to use.
- Base: forgiveness
- Plural: forgiveness
ask for forgiveness
1request that someone forgives you
To tell someone you are sorry and want them to forgive you for something you did.
- He finally called his sister to ask for forgiveness.
- Sometimes it is hard to ask for forgiveness, even when you know you were wrong.
- You should ask for forgiveness as soon as you realize your mistake.
beg for forgiveness
1urgently ask to be forgiven
To ask in a very strong, emotional way for someone to forgive you.
- He knelt down and begged for forgiveness, tears running down his face.
- After the scandal, the politician went on TV to beg for forgiveness from the public.
debt forgiveness
1cancellation of a debt
When a person, company, or country is told it does not have to pay back some or all of the money it owes.
- International lenders agreed to partial debt forgiveness for the struggling nation.
- Debt forgiveness can give poor countries a chance to rebuild their economies.
forgiveness of sins
1religious removal of sin
In religion, when God or another god takes away a person’s sins so they are no longer guilty.
- The sermon focused on the forgiveness of sins through repentance.
- In this faith, baptism is a sign of the forgiveness of sins.
grant forgiveness
1formally decide to forgive
To decide and say that you forgive someone, often in a serious or official situation.
- The victim’s family chose to grant forgiveness instead of asking for a harsh sentence.
- Only the board can grant forgiveness for this kind of policy violation.
loan forgiveness
1cancellation of a loan debt
When a bank or government decides that you do not have to pay back some or all of a loan.
- The new law expands loan forgiveness for public service workers.
- Many graduates are counting on loan forgiveness to manage their debt.
seek forgiveness
1try to obtain forgiveness
To try to get someone, or God, to forgive you, often over a period of time.
- He spent years seeking forgiveness from his daughter for leaving when she was young.
- In many religions, believers seek forgiveness through prayer and good deeds.