shrift
Americannoun
-
the imposition of penance by a priest on a penitent after confession.
-
absolution or remission of sins granted after confession and penance.
-
confession to a priest.
noun
Etymology
Origin of shrift
before 900; Middle English; Old English scrift penance; cognate with German, Dutch schrift writing; see shrive, -th 1
Explanation
Use the noun shrift to describe the act of confessing, especially to a priest. Shrift is an old-fashioned way to talk about the traditional religious ritual of confession and absolution. Shrift comes from the equally antique word shrive, which is what a priest does when he hears a confession. The phrase "short shrift" began as a description of the brief chance a condemned prisoner had to confess his sins before being put to death, and evolved to mean "to dismiss with little consideration."
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.
Thrifts that don’t want to deal with two regulators may swap their charters.
From New York Times • Dec. 8, 2010
Thrifts are saddled with a growing number of troubled assets, according to the O.T.S.
From New York Times • Dec. 8, 2010
Thrifts have been gradually replacing those loans with adjustable-rate mortgages, or ARMs, which protect the institutions from unexpected rate increases.
From Time Magazine Archive
Adds Frederick S. Hammer, a senior vice president of Chase Manhattan Bank: "Thrifts are simply an anachronism."
From Time Magazine Archive
Thrifts hold about one-third of all U.S. mortgages, down from nearly 60% some 20 years ago.
From Time Magazine Archive
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.
