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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Forgive \For*give"\, verb (used with an object) [imp. {Forgave}; p. p. {Forgiven}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Forgiving}] [OE. forgiven, foryiven, foryeven, AS. forgiefan, forgifan; perh. for- + giefan, gifan to give; cf. D. vergeven, G. vergeben, Icel. fyrirgefa, Sw. f?rgifva, Goth. fragiban to give, grant. See {For-}, and {Give}, verb (used with an object)]
1. To give wholly; to make over without reservation; to resign.
To them that list the world's gay shows I leave, And to great ones such folly do forgive. --Spenser.
2. To give up resentment or claim to requital on account of (an offense or wrong); to remit the penalty of; to pardon; -- said in reference to the act forgiven.
And their sins should be forgiven them. --Mark iv. 12.
He forgive injures so readily that he might be said to invite them. --Macaulay.
3. To cease to feel resentment against, on account of wrong committed; to give up claim to requital from or retribution upon (an offender); to absolve; to pardon; -- said of the person offending.
Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. --Luke xxiii. 34.
I as free forgive you, as I would be fforgiven. --Shak.
Note: Sometimes both the person and the offense follow as objects of the verb, sometimes one and sometimes the other being the indirect object. ''Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.'' --Matt. vi. 12. ''Be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.'' --Matt. ix. 2.
Syn: See {excuse}.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
forgive
verb
1: stop blaming or grant forgiveness; "I forgave him his infidelity"; "She cannot forgive him for forgetting her birthday"
2: absolve from payment; "I forgive you your debt" [also: {forgiven}, {forgave}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
64 Moby Thesaurus words for "forgive": abolish, absolve, acquit, allow, amnesty, cancel, clear, condone, consign to oblivion, decontaminate, delete, destigmatize, discharge, dismiss, dispense from, disregard, erase, exculpate, excuse, exempt, exempt from, exonerate, forbear, forgive and forget, free, give absolution, give quarter, grant amnesty to, grant forgiveness, grant immunity, grant remission, have mercy upon, have pity, ignore, indulge, justify, let go, let off, let up on, make allowances for, melt, nonpros, nullify, obliterate, overlook, pardon, pass over, purge, quash the charge, relax, release, relent, remit, reprieve, set free, shrive, spare, take pity on, thaw, vindicate, void, waive, whitewash, withdraw the charge
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