repentance
Americannoun
-
deep sorrow, compunction, or contrition for a past sin, wrongdoing, or the like.
- Synonyms:
- remorse, penitence, contriteness
- Antonyms:
- impenitence
-
regret for any past action.
- Synonyms:
- sorrow
noun
-
remorse or contrition for one's past actions or sins
-
an act or the process of being repentant; penitence
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of repentance
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English repentaunce, from Old French repentance; equivalent to repent 1 + -ance
Explanation
Repentance is the guilt you feel when you do something wrong — and the steps you take to make up for it, like a sincere apology: repentance for hurting your friend's feelings. Repentance is the act of repenting, which comes from the Latin word poenitire, meaning “make sorry.” Note however, that repentance is what you do on your own: it's not punishment that is handed to you. In terms of religion, repentance is the decision to try to sin no more, devoting your life instead to being a better person by strictly following the rules of your faith.
Vocabulary lists containing repentance
The Poet X
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"The Hunger Games" Vocabulary from Chapter 1
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This Week in Words: January 6 - 12, 2018
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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.
One common answer notes that sackcloth and ashes have been since biblical times a sign of repentance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 12, 2026
It says this is a "recognition of the need for repentance, humility and lament".
From BBC ● Dec. 14, 2025
"As Christians, we know that we are people who need repentance and hope."
From BBC ● May 4, 2025
In the meantime, this aggressively revisionist supermarket, as indicated in Butler’s novel, has become part pharmacy, part a site of repentance for past consumption.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2024
But in spite of all this repentance the rain hadn’t come, and now he told us he refused to be party to the superstitions.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
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.
