forgive

B1 Topic:Actions & Processes

Also spelled fogive

US /fɚˈɡɪv/ UK /fə(ɹ)ˈɡɪv/ See IPA manual

Freq #763

Meanings

1

verb
To stop being angry at someone for something they did wrong.

Please forgive me for being so late.
2

verb
To stop feeling that someone owes you money or has to pay.

The bank agreed to forgive part of the debt.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to stop being angry at... pardon

Word family

Forms forgaveforgieforgivenforgivesforgivingunforgivable

Derived forms forgivabilityforgivableforgivelessforgivenessforgiverforgivingmisforgivereforgiveunforgiveunforgiver

Appears in

Proverbs (4)

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Etymology

Alteration (due to give) of Middle English foryiven, forȝiven, from Old English forġiefan (“to forgive, to give”), from Proto-West Germanic *frageban, from Proto-Germanic *fragebaną (“to give away; give up; release; forgive”), equivalent to for- + give (etymologically for- + yive). 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”), Yiddish פֿאַרגעבן (fargebn, “to forgive”)

*gʰebʰ- Proto-Indo-European foryiven Middle English forġiefan Old English *frageban Proto-West Germanic *fragebaną Proto-Germanic

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Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# forgive

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /fɚˈɡɪv/
**IPA (UK):** /fə(ɹ)ˈɡɪv/
**Frequency rank:** 763

## Meanings
1. To stop being angry at someone for something they did wrong.
2. To stop feeling that someone owes you money or has to pay.

## Examples
- Please forgive me for being so late.
- The bank agreed to forgive part of the debt.

## Derived Forms
- forgivability
- forgivable
- forgiveless
- forgiveness
- forgiver
- forgiving
- misforgive
- reforgive
- unforgive
- unforgiver

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *gʰebʰ-
- Root: foryiven
- Root: forġiefan
- Root: *frageban
- Root: *fragebaną

## Etymology
Alteration (due to give) of Middle English foryiven, forȝiven, from Old English forġiefan (“to forgive, to give”), from Proto-West Germanic *frageban, from Proto-Germanic *fragebaną (“to give away; give up; release; forgive”), equivalent to for- + give (etymologically for- + yive). 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”), Yiddish פֿאַרגעבן (fargebn, “to forgive”)

## AI Etymology
Forgive is described etymologically as alteration (due to give) of Middle English foryiven, forȝiven, from Old English forġiefan (“to forgive, to give”), from Proto-West Germanic *frageban, from Proto-Germanic *fragebaną (“to give away; give up; release; forgive”), equivalent to for- + give (etymologically for- + yive). 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”), Yiddish פֿאַרגעבן (fargebn, “to forgive”). In current use, the main senses are “To stop being angry at someone for something they did wrong” and “To stop feeling that someone owes you money or has to pay”.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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