Forgive average fellow (6)
I believe the answer is:
pardon
'forgive' is the definition.
(pardoning is a kind of forgiving)
'average fellow' is the wordplay.
'average' becomes 'par' (average score in golf).
'fellow' becomes 'don' (both can mean an academic).
'par'+'don'='PARDON'
(Other definitions for pardon that I've seen before include "Forgive, perhaps judicially" , "Forgive or excuse (an offence)" , "Forgive; come again?" , "Ask this to seek forgiveness" , "Excuse me, kindly overlook" .)