penitence
Americannoun
Related Words
See regret.
Etymology
Origin of penitence
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English (from Old French ) from Medieval Latin pēnitentia, Latin paenitentia “a regretting, repentance.” See penitent, -ence
Explanation
Everyone makes mistakes, but not everyone feels bad about it afterward, and if you’re someone who has regretted something you did, that sorrowful feeling was penitence. Penitence shares the same Latin root as the verb repent, which means “to express regret.” It’s also connected to the word penitentiary, another word for prison. Sometimes penitence is so painful you might think you deserve to be in prison. The good news is that unless you committed a serious crime, you can probably apologize and that display of penitence is usually enough for forgiveness. Be careful: although the last half sounds like tense, it’s actually spelled with a c.
Vocabulary lists containing penitence
The Crucible
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"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
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A Christmas Carol
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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.
What I’ve learned from them during this shared season of penitence has strengthened my conviction that non-Muslims need to learn about Islam and get beyond the stereotypes and misconceptions of both the left and right.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026
"This Christmas, God's Church itself needs to come again to the manger and strip off her finery and kneel in penitence and adoration. And be changed," he said.
From BBC • Dec. 25, 2024
It was initially conceived as a time of fasting and penitence, not unlike Lent, during which observant Christians prepared themselves to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 30, 2024
For Mr. Diamond, a practicing Catholic, another deadline was also looming: This year, Valentine’s Day happens to fall on Ash Wednesday, customarily devoted to penitence and fasting.
From New York Times • Feb. 14, 2024
The show was up for two months, and when it came down, I carried my crates to a vacant lot and burned them in penitence for my undeserved success.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
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.
