forgiving

[fer-giv-ing] /fərˈgɪv ɪŋ/
adjective
1.
disposed to forgive; indicating forgiveness:
a forgiving soul; a forgiving smile.
2.
tolerant:
The mountain is not forgiving of inexperienced climbers.
Origin
1680-90; forgive + -ing2
Related forms
forgivingly, adverb
forgivingness, noun
nonforgiving, adjective

forgive

[fer-giv] /fərˈgɪv/
verb (used with object), forgave, forgiven, forgiving.
1.
to grant pardon for or remission of (an offense, debt, etc.); absolve.
2.
to give up all claim on account of; remit (a debt, obligation, etc.).
3.
to grant pardon to (a person).
4.
to cease to feel resentment against:
to forgive one's enemies.
5.
to cancel an indebtedness or liability of:
to forgive the interest owed on a loan.
verb (used without object), forgave, forgiven, forgiving.
6.
to pardon an offense or an offender.
Origin
before 900; for- + give; replacing Middle English foryiven, Old English forgiefan
Related forms
forgivable, adjective
forgiver, noun
half-forgiven, adjective
preforgive, verb (used with object), preforgave, preforgiven, preforgiving.
unforgivable, adjective
unforgivableness, noun
unforgivably, adverb
unforgiven, adjective
Can be confused
commute, forgive, pardon (see synonym study at pardon)
Synonyms
1. See excuse. 3. absolve, acquit.
Examples from the web for forgiving
  • Users were actually more forgiving of the arm when they were piloting it.
  • The halls of academe have long been a forgiving environment for absentminded professors.
  • Boarders on the lookout for peak to creek power in a gentler, more forgiving package will instantly come to prefer these bindings.
  • People are more forgiving if the robot warns them first that it might make errors or apologizes when it screws up.
  • Easy money, which the housing bubble seemed to promise, put people in a forgiving mood.
  • Then all of these laws will be useless,and humans will be forgiving,and see each other as they see themselves.
  • Most of the other languages you see are more forgiving.
  • But the elastic, forgiving nature of the language itself was another.
  • The written word was a forgiving medium for over-complicated, ill-conceived messages.
  • Investors are likely to be far less forgiving these days.
British Dictionary definitions for forgiving

forgiving

/fəˈɡɪvɪŋ/
adjective
1.
willing to forgive; merciful
Derived Forms
forgivingly, adverb
forgivingness, noun

forgive

/fəˈɡɪv/
verb -gives, -giving, -gave, -given
1.
to cease to blame or hold resentment against (someone or something)
2.
to grant pardon for (a mistake, wrongdoing, etc)
3.
(transitive) to free or pardon (someone) from penalty
4.
(transitive) to free from the obligation of (a debt, payment, etc)
Derived Forms
forgivable, adjective
forgivably, adverb
forgiver, noun
Word Origin
Old English forgiefan; see for-, give
Word Origin and History for forgiving
adj.

"inclined to forgive," 1680s, from present participle of forgive. Related: Forgivingness.

forgive

v.

Old English forgiefan "give, grant, allow; forgive," also "to give up" and "to give in marriage;" from for- "completely" + giefan "give" (see give).

The modern sense of "to give up desire or power to punish" is from use of the compound as a Germanic loan-translation of Latin perdonare (cf. Old Saxon fargeban, Dutch vergeven, German vergeben, Gothic fragiban; see pardon). Related: Forgave; forgiven; forgiving.