penitent
Americanadjective
noun
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a penitent person.
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Roman Catholic Church. a person who confesses sin and submits to a penance.
adjective
noun
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a person who is penitent
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Christianity
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a person who repents his sins and seeks forgiveness for them
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RC Church a person who confesses his sins to a priest and submits to a penance imposed by him
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Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of penitent
1325–75; Middle English < Medieval Latin pēnitent-, Latin paenitent- (stem of paenitēns ), present participle of paenitēre to regret; replacing Middle English penaunt < Anglo-French; see penance
Explanation
Penitent means deeply sorry, ashamed, and full of remorse. If you feel sorry––or just want to appear to––you should adopt a penitent manner. Penitent comes from the Latin word paenitere, which means to repent. It can be either noun or adjective. Though it's not restricted to them, penitent often pops up in religious contexts, particularly as a noun, as in, "The penitent threw herself at the bishop's feet and begged forgiveness for her sins."
Vocabulary lists containing penitent
Grade 10, List 4
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Othello
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1984
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I came to Anne Vaughan Lock’s “A Meditation of a Penitent Sinner” as a result of my son Hudson’s high-school ancestry-research project.
From The New Yorker • Aug. 5, 2019
Off to the right, the Penitent Stairs ascend sharply into the gloom, daring me to test the condition of my body and the state of my soul.
From Washington Post • Dec. 14, 2017
POV Filmmaker Cecilia Aldarondo traces the final years of her gay uncle’s life in New York City and Puerto Rico in the poignant documentary “Memories of a Penitent Heart.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 30, 2017
Photograph: Alberto Otero The Penitent St Peter, hands locked in prayer and with battered bible at his bare feet, can expect admiring looks when he goes on display at London's Dulwich Picture Gallery on Wednesday.
From The Guardian • Feb. 5, 2013
The Penitent King was having a difficult time with the rebels in Resavek.This caused some concern, but only in a general way.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
