penitence

[ pen-i-tuhns ]

/ ˈpɛn ɪ təns /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR penitence ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the state of being penitent; regret for one's wrongdoing or sinning; contrition; repentance.

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

synonym study for penitence

See regret.

Words nearby penitence

peninsulate, Peninsula War, penis, penischisis, penis envy, penitence, penitent, Penitente, penitential, penitential Psalm, penitentiary

Example sentences from the Web for penitence

Could the largest living icon of communism really be on the verge of penitence?
Castro May Rejoin Catholic Church, Say Rumors in the Italian Press|Mac Margolis, Barbie Latza Nadeau|February 24, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Yet she still fasted, in penitence, and ministered to other sick people and to the elderly.
Kateri Tekakwitha: First Indigenous Saint's Story|Bill Donahue|December 23, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Plainly in a world where creative power is impersonal the deepest meanings of penitence have no place.
The Meaning of Faith|Harry Emerson Fosdick
No, no, not too late: not too late for penitence, not too late for love.
The Plays of W. E. Henley and R. L. Stevenson|Robert Louis Stevenson

They held that the place of sacrifices was taken by prayer, penitence, and good works.
The Expositor's Bible: The First Book of Kings|F. W. Farrar
Sydney's bitterness and Sydney's penitence were mingled, as opposite emotions only can be mingled in a woman's breast.
The Evil Genius|Wilkie Collins
Penitence must kneel and Mercy come from the footstool of the throne, or that golden gate will never open.
Twice Told Tales|Nathaniel Hawthorne