penitent
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penitent
- /ˈpɛnɪtənt/
Where it comes from
From Middle English, from Old French, from Latin paenitēns, poenitēns (“penitent”), present participle of paeniteō, poeniteō (“to cause to repent; to regret, repent”). Doublet of penitente.
adjective more penitent · most penitent · pænitent · penitant · pœnitent
-
Feeling pain or sorrow on account of one's sins or offenses; feeling sincere guilt.
Be penitent, and for thy fault contrite.
Similar: repentant, contrite, remorseful, penitent, apologetic, guilt-ridden
- Doing penance. […] But we that know what ’tis to faſt and pray, / Are penitent for your default to day.
noun penitents · pænitent · penitant · pœnitent
- One who repents of sin; one sorrowful on account of their transgressions.
- One under church censure, but admitted to penance; one undergoing penance. Wamba, who defeated the Saracens in an attempt upon Spain, was deprived of the crown, because he had been clothed in the habit of a penitent, while labouring under the influence of poison, administered by the ambitious Erviga!
- One under the direction of a confessor.
Translations
Every language
adj feeling pain or sorrow on account of sins or offenses
| Deutsch | reumütig, reuig, bußfertig |
|---|---|
| Ελληνικά | μετανοών metanoón |
| Русский | кающийся kajuščijsja, раскаивающийся raskaivajuščijsja |
noun one who repents of sin
| Português | penitente |
|---|---|
| Français | pénitent |
| Deutsch | Reumütiger, Bußfertiger |
| עברית | בעל תשובה |
noun one under the direction of a confessor
| Español | penitente |
|---|---|
| Português | penitente |
| Deutsch | Beichtkind |
Talk about this word "penitent." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/penitent. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. penitent. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/penitent "penitent." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/penitent.Cite this
@misc{penitent_2026,
title = {penitent},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/penitent},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
