forgive
English
Etymology
Alternation (due to give) of Middle English foryiven, forȝiven, from Old English forġiefan (“to forgive, give up, provide”), from Proto-Germanic *fragebaną (“to give away; give up; release; forgive”), equivalent to for- + give. Cognate with Scots forgeve, forgif, forgie (“to forgive”), West Frisian ferjaan (“to forgive”), Dutch vergeven (“to forgive”), German vergeben (“to forgive”), Icelandic fyrirgefa (“to forgive”).
Pronunciation
- enPR: fər-gĭv', fôr-gĭv', IPA(key): /fə(ɹ)ˈɡɪv/, /fɔː(ɹ)ˈɡɪv/
- (General American) IPA(key): /fɚˈɡɪv/
Audio (US, California) (file) Audio (file) - Rhymes: -ɪv
Verb
forgive (third-person singular simple present forgives, present participle forgiving, simple past forgave, past participle forgiven)
- (transitive) To pardon; to waive any negative feeling or desire for punishment, retribution, or compensation.
- Forgive others, not because they deserve forgiveness, but because you deserve peace.
- (intransitive) To accord forgiveness.
- Only the brave know how to forgive...A coward never forgave; it is not in his nature. - Laurence Sterne
Derived terms
- forgivable
- forgiveness
- forgiveworthy
Translations
transitive, to pardon
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References
- forgive in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
- forgive in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
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