penitence

See also: pénitence

English

Alternative forms

• pænitence (archaic)

Etymology

(deprecated template usage)

First attested circa 13th century, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle English penitence, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old French penitence, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin paenitentia (“repentance, penitence”), from paenitēns (“penitent”), present active participle of paeniteō (“regret, repent”). Doublet of penance.

Pronunciation

• enPR: pĕnʹĭ-təns

Noun

penitence (countable and uncountable, plural penitences)

1. The condition of being penitent; a feeling of regret or remorse for doing wrong or sinning.

Synonyms

• compunction, contrition, remorse, repentance, penance, atonement

• See also Thesaurus:remorse

Translations

condition of being penitent

• Dutch: boetedoening (nl), inkeer (nl)
• Finnish: katumus (fi)
• French:

  Old French: penitence f

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• German: Reue (de) f, Bußfertigkeit f, Buße (de) f
• Irish: aithrí f
• Portuguese: contrição f,, penitência (pt) f

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Middle French

Alternative forms

• paenitence
• poenitence

Etymology

(deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin.

Noun

penitence f (plural penitences)

1. (chiefly Christianity) penitence (repentance for one's sins)

Descendants

• French: pénitence

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Old French

Alternative forms

• penitance
• penitaunce

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin paenitentia.

Noun

penitence oblique singular, f (oblique plural penitences, nominative singular penitence, nominative plural penitences)

1. (chiefly Christianity) penitence (repentance for one's sins)

Descendants

• → English: penitence
• Middle French: penitence
  • French: pénitence