Forgiveness is the act of letting go of resentment or anger towards someone who has wronged you. It involves a conscious decision to release feelings of vengeance and to move past the hurt caused by another person's actions. Forgiveness is not necessarily about excusing someone’s behavior or forgetting what happened; rather, it’s about freeing oneself from the emotional burden of holding onto negativity.
The word "forgiveness" comes from the Old English "forgiefan," which means "to give up, to give away." It is derived from the prefix "for-" meaning “completely” and "giefan," which means “to give.” Over time, the word evolved to emphasize the concept of releasing negative feelings towards others.