contrition

[ kuhn-trish-uhn ]
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noun
  1. sincere penitence or remorse.

  2. Theology. sorrow for and detestation of sin with a true purpose of amendment, arising from a love of God for His own perfections (perfect contrition ), or from some inferior motive, as fear of divine punishment (imperfect contrition ).

Origin of contrition

1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English contricio(u)n, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin contrītiōn-, stem of contrītiō “grief,” literally, “a wearing down”; equivalent to contrite + -ion

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British Dictionary definitions for contrition

contrition

/ (kənˈtrɪʃən) /


noun
  1. deeply felt remorse; penitence

  2. Christianity detestation of past sins and a resolve to make amends, either from love of God (perfect contrition) or from hope of heaven (imperfect contrition)

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