Forgiving

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Showing a nature that releases feelings of resentment or anger
2. Having a disposition that readily pardons others' errors or wrongdoings
3. Inclined to overlook faults and show mercy toward those who have caused harm

Etymology: The verb "forgive" began life in Old English as "forġiefan," which simply meant "to give" with an intensifying prefix, roughly "give away" or "give up." The sense of releasing someone from a debt or a wrong grew out of that act of giving something up. Middle English then reshaped the verb as "foryiven," and over time the "give" in its spelling was altered to match the modern word, so the verb now looks like a compound of "for-" and "give" in a way its older form did not. "Forgiving" is simply the present participle of that verb, carrying the same root sense of letting go. The idea behind the adjective, a disposition that releases resentment, is therefore an extension of the older meaning of giving something away. Its relatives across Germanic languages, such as Dutch "vergeven" and German "vergeben," follow the same pattern, which suggests the notion of surrendering a grievance was already built into the root early on.

Synonyms: merciful, pardonable, compassionate, tolerant, understanding

Antonyms: resentful, vindictive, unforgiving, bitter, spiteful