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.
Special prayers are recited, and the liturgy’s imagery focuses on repentance and seeking forgiveness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
But it would take George Floyd's murder by a white police officer to spur the Church on to speed up its examination of ties to historic slavery and explore some form of repentance.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
The biggest test could come on the second day of Hajj, when pilgrims gather for prayer and repentance at Mount Arafat, a granite hill and surrounding plains at the edge of Mecca.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 23, 2026
The man responsible for two extremely graphic videos, Wang Chaoyi, was detained for 15 days by the Chinese authorities and forced to issue a "letter of repentance".
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2025
I spent most of my time in a state of repentance for things I had vividly desired to do but had not done.
From "The Fire Next Time" by James Baldwin
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.
