penance

American  

[pen-uhns] / ˈpɛn əns /

noun

1. a punishment undergone in token of penitence for sin.

2. a penitential discipline imposed by church authority.

3. a sacrament, as in the Roman Catholic Church, consisting in a confession of sin, made with sorrow and with the intention of amendment, followed by the forgiveness of the sin.

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penance British  

/ ˈpɛnəns /

noun

1. voluntary self-punishment to atone for a sin, crime, etc

2. a feeling of regret for one's wrongdoings

3. Christianity

   1. a punishment usually consisting of prayer, fasting, etc, undertaken voluntarily as an expression of penitence for sin

   2. a punishment of this kind imposed by church authority as a condition of absolution

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verb

1. (tr) (of ecclesiastical authorities) to impose a penance upon (a sinner)

penance Cultural  

1. Acts done to make up for sin. (See confession and indulgence.)

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Other Word Forms

• penanceless adjective

Etymology

Origin of penance

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English penaunce, from Anglo-French; Old French peneance, from Latin paenitentia penitence

Explanation

Penance is the act of doing a good deed to make up for past wrongs. Shoveling your neighbor's sidewalk all winter could be your penance for not helping rake the leaves that dropped from your tree into his yard during the fall. Although the noun penance can mean any remorse for past mistakes, or any voluntary action meant to right the wrong, Penance, with a capital P, also specifically refers to a sacrament in the Catholic Church. When a person receives Penance, he or she confesses sins to a priest, and along with a blessing, receives an order to do something, such as say certain prayers. This assignment is also called penance.

Example Sentences

A breakfast that feels more like penance than possibility.

From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026

As if doing penance for the past, all four of the film’s stars are associated with superhero franchises.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

The new film is the director’s penance: an apologia to musical lovers who want to see the star do every inch of the dancing.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 9, 2025

Well, they only do in one respect, and that seems to be Röhl’s main fixation: They’re all associated with attempts to work through and do penance for Nazi Germany’s crimes.

From Slate • Jan. 5, 2025

“That’s one of the things I do penance for all the time. Except that no one at the convent listens to me like you do.”

From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer

Related Words

• absolution
• atonement
• contrition
• forgiveness
• penitence
• remorse
• repentance
• retribution