forgiving

adjective

for·​giv·​ing fər-ˈgi-viŋ 

fȯr-

1

: willing or able to forgive

2

: allowing room for error or weakness

designed to be a forgiving tennis racquet

forgivingly adverb

forgivingness noun

Examples of forgiving in a Sentence

a person with a forgiving nature

Recent Examples on the Web

Pai's repeal placed ISPs under the more forgiving Title I regulatory framework instead of the common-carrier framework in Title II of the Communications Act. —Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, 26 Apr. 2024

The coming era will be less forgiving of hubris and unpreparedness than were the circumstances of the recent past. —Elbridge Colby, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2019

Trying to learn how to be more forgiving was part of my own desire to have more agency in my own life, which is not normally how forgiveness is talked about. —Nate Sloan, Vulture, 10 May 2024

And the early majority is much less forgiving, and pricing is an issue. —Phoebe Wall Howard and Olivia Evans, Detroit Free Press, 29 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1623, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

forgiving

adjective

for·​giv·​ing

fər-ˈgiv-iŋ,

fȯr-

1

: showing forgiveness : inclined or ready to forgive

a person with a forgiving nature

2

: allowing for human error or weakness

a tennis racket designed to be forgiving

forgivingly adverb

forgivingness noun