impenitent
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of impenitent
1525–35; < Late Latin impaenitent- (stem of impaenitēns ) unrepentant. See im- 2, penitent
Explanation
To be impenitent is to have no remorse or regrets. Your brother was impenitent when he ate the cupcakes that you had baked for your club fundraiser. Not nice. The word repent is hiding in impenitent. When you repent, you regret or feel sorry about something you've done. Impenitent and repent share the Latin root penitire meaning "to regret," but add im- meaning "not" for impenitent and you've got the opposite: "to not regret or repent." A criminal who is impenitent about feels no shame about what he's done.
Vocabulary lists containing impenitent
Antigone
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Anne of Avonlea
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Inferno
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
In Gainsborough’s painting Germain looks imperious and impenitent.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026
In Maxwell’s impenitent gaze, we could see the broader audacity of the Epstein affair.
From The New Yorker ● Aug. 16, 2019
She loved that Lorraine was impenitent and fought out of professional duty, rather than to avenge, say, the loss of a husband or child.
From New York Times ● Jul. 25, 2017
But her new employer, Politico Europe, was keen to appoint an impenitent to fire warning shots across the commission’s bow.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 18, 2015
The third was for those who were impenitent.
From The History of the Inquisition of Spain from the Time of its Establishment to the Reign of Ferdinand VII. by Juan Antonio Llorente
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
