penitent

American  

[pen-i-tuhnt] / ˈpɛn ɪ tənt /

adjective

1. feeling or expressing sorrow for sin or wrongdoing and disposed to atonement and amendment; repentant; contrite.

   Synonyms:

   sorrowful, rueful, remorseful

   Antonyms:

   impenitent, unrepentant

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noun

1. a penitent person.

2. Roman Catholic Church. a person who confesses sin and submits to a penance.

penitent British  

/ ˈpɛnɪtənt /

adjective

1. feeling regret for one's sins; repentant

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noun

1. a person who is penitent

2. Christianity

   1. a person who repents his sins and seeks forgiveness for them

   2. RC Church a person who confesses his sins to a priest and submits to a penance imposed by him

Other Word Forms

• nonpenitent
  adjective
• penitence
  noun
• penitently
  adverb
• unpenitent
  adjective
• unpenitently
  adverb

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."

Example Sentences

I came to Anne Vaughan Lock’s “A Meditation of a Penitent Sinner” as a result of my son Hudson’s high-school ancestry-research project.

From The New Yorker • Aug. 5, 2019

Off to the right, the Penitent Stairs ascend sharply into the gloom, daring me to test the condition of my body and the state of my soul.

From Washington Post • Dec. 14, 2017

POV Filmmaker Cecilia Aldarondo traces the final years of her gay uncle’s life in New York City and Puerto Rico in the poignant documentary “Memories of a Penitent Heart.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 30, 2017

“The Penitent Saint Peter” is the second canvas by Ribera to enter the Met’s collection.

From New York Times • Nov. 8, 2012

The Penitent King was having a difficult time with the rebels in Resavek.This caused some concern, but only in a general way.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss