# forgive

> English word · Verb · IPA /fə(ɹ)ˈɡɪv/ · frequency rank #4,672

## Definitions
1. To pardon (someone); to waive any negative feeling towards or desire for punishment or retribution against.
2. To pardon (something); to waive any negative feeling over or retribution for.
3. To waive or remit (a debt), to absolve from payment or compensation of.
4. To accord forgiveness.
5. To look past; to look beyond.
6. To redeem; to offset the bad effects of something.

## 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”)

## Easily confused with
- **forgiven** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/forgive-vs-forgiven)
- **forge** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/forge-vs-forgive)
- **Fergie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fergie-vs-forgive)
- **forging** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/forging-vs-forgive)
- **forgave** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/forgave-vs-forgive)

## Common misspellings (10)
`fforgive`, `fogrive`, `forggive`, `forgiev`, `forgivve`, `forgvie`, `forigve`, `forrgive`, `frogive`, `ofrgive`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/forgive