penitent
Americanadjective
noun
-
a penitent person.
-
Roman Catholic Church. a person who confesses sin and submits to a penance.
adjective
noun
-
a person who is penitent
-
Christianity
-
a person who repents his sins and seeks forgiveness for them
-
RC Church a person who confesses his sins to a priest and submits to a penance imposed by him
-
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of penitent
1325–75; Middle English < Medieval Latin pēnitent-, Latin paenitent- (stem of paenitēns ), present participle of paenitēre to regret; replacing Middle English penaunt < Anglo-French; see penance
Explanation
Penitent means deeply sorry, ashamed, and full of remorse. If you feel sorry––or just want to appear to––you should adopt a penitent manner. Penitent comes from the Latin word paenitere, which means to repent. It can be either noun or adjective. Though it's not restricted to them, penitent often pops up in religious contexts, particularly as a noun, as in, "The penitent threw herself at the bishop's feet and begged forgiveness for her sins."
Vocabulary lists containing penitent
Grade 10, List 4
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!
Othello
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!
1984
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.
The penitent Magdalene was a popular subject in Artemisia’s day, and several versions of the painting exist.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
So then—can an inanimate tool such as this typewriter be penitent, reformed, and redeemed from the original sin of its creation?
From Slate • Mar. 16, 2024
But it also happens to be Ash Wednesday, the solemn day of fasting and reflection that signals the start of Christianity’s most penitent season.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 13, 2024
The early brawler, the reformed sage, the repeat offender, the penitent observer of silence, the strategist, the troublemaker, the king of the kids, the petulant self-justifier, the granular cricket analyst, the late-career paragon.
From BBC • Nov. 14, 2023
His greatgrandfather goes to his knees like a penitent, fits the saw into a groove in the bark, and begins to cut.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
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.
