penitential

American  

[pen-i-ten-shuhl] / ˌpɛn ɪˈtɛn ʃəl /

adjective

1. of, pertaining to, proceeding from, or expressive of penitence or repentance.

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noun

1. a penitent.

2. a book or code of canons relating to penance, its imposition, etc.

penitential British  

/ ˌpɛnɪˈtɛnʃəl /

adjective

1. of, showing, or constituting penance

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noun

1. RC Church a book or compilation of instructions for confessors

2. a less common word for penitent penitent

Other Word Forms

• penitentially adverb
• unpenitential adjective
• unpenitentially adverb

Etymology

Origin of penitential

1500–10; < Medieval Latin pēnitēntiālis, Late Latin paenitēntiālis. See penitent, -ial

Explanation

If someone is penitential, they're remorseful about something they did. Being truly penitential for losing your brother's phone means buying him a new one — not just saying, "Oh, sorry!" The adjective penitential is less common than its synonym, penitent, but you can use it whenever you're truly contrite. The penitential letter you write your neighbor after your baseball shatters his kitchen window will probably make you both feel better. This word is often used in a religious context, describing people repenting their sins. The Latin root, pænitere, means "cause or feel regret."

Example Sentences

Weeks later, during the penitential Yom Kippur prayers in a small Berlin synagogue, Rosenzweig reversed his decision.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

It also marks the beginning of the penitential Lenten season.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2024

In the eyes of the German public, Stadler's guilty plea did not look particularly penitential.

From BBC • Jun. 27, 2023

The prayer service, known as a penitential rite and required by Canon law, was led by the basilica's archpriest, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti.

From Reuters • Jun. 3, 2023

The holy sounds float up the dell To fill my ravished ear, And now the glorious anthems swell,— Of worshippers sincere,— Of hearts bowed in the dust, that shed Faith's penitential tear.

From The Genius of Scotland or Sketches of Scottish Scenery, Literature and Religion by Turnbull, Robert