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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Forgiveness \For*give"ness\, n. [AS. forgifnes.]
1. The act of forgiving; the state of being forgiven; as, the
forgiveness of sin or of injuries.
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To the Lord our God belong mercies and
forgivenesses. --Dan. ix. 9.
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In whom we have . . . the forgiveness of sin. --Eph.
i. 7.
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2. Disposition to pardon; willingness to forgive.
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If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord,
who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee,
that thou mayest be feared. --Ps. cxxx. 3,
4.

Syn: Pardon, remission.

Usage: {Forgiveness}, {Pardon}. Forgiveness is Anglo-Saxon,
and pardon Norman French, both implying a giving back.
The word pardon, being early used in our Bible, has,
in religious matters, the same sense as forgiveness;
but in the language of common life there is a
difference between them, such as we often find between
corresponding Anglo-Saxon and Norman words. Forgive
points to inward feeling, and suppose alienated
affection; when we ask forgiveness, we primarily seek
the removal of anger. Pardon looks more to outward
things or consequences, and is often applied to
trifling matters, as when we beg pardon for
interrupting a man, or for jostling him in a crowd.
The civil magistrate also grants a pardon, and not
forgiveness. The two words are, therefore, very
clearly distinguished from each other in most cases
which relate to the common concerns of life.
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