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• Lenten
  Lenten

  adjective

  of, relating to, or suitable for Lent.
• lenten
  lenten

  adjective

  (often capital) of or relating to Lent

Lenten

American  

[len-tn] / ˈlɛn tn /

Or lenten

adjective

1. of, relating to, or suitable for Lent.

2. suggesting Lent, as in austerity, frugality, or rigorousness; meager.

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lenten British  

/ ˈlɛntən /

adjective

1. (often capital) of or relating to Lent

2. archaic spare, plain, or meagre

   lenten fare

3. archaic cold, austere, or sombre

   a lenten lover

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Etymology

Origin of Lenten

First recorded before 900; Middle English lente(n) “spring, springtime, Lent,” noun use of Old English noun and adjective lengten, læncgten, lencten “spring, springtime, Lent; of springtime, Lenten”; later taken as an adjective ending in -en; see origin at Lent, -en ²

Example Sentences

There’s something valuable in the Christian practice of letting people determine their Lenten sacrifices.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

It allowed me to sing hallelujah in the Lenten season,” referring to the run-up to Easter.

From Salon • Mar. 22, 2025

That didn’t include the readers who reached out to me after I wrote a column about Mami’s capirotada — Mexican Lenten bread pudding.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2024

He extended the ritual after loved ones recovered from serious illnesses, one after another, turning him into a village celebrity as the “Christ” in the Lenten reenactment of the Way of the Cross.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 6, 2023

It was a family tradition that Mama and Grandma would review our Lenten commitment as we shopped the trunks.

From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals