penitent

• POS: Adjective, Noun
• HYPHEN: pen=i=tent

CIDE DICTIONARY

penitent, a. [F. pénitent, L. paenitens, -entis, poenitens, p. pr. of paenitere, poenitere, to cause to repent, to repent; prob. akin to poena punishment. See Pain.].

•  Feeling pain or sorrow on account of sins or offenses; repentant; contrite; sincerely affected by a sense of guilt, and resolved on amendment of life.  [1913 Webster]

  "Be penitent, and for thy fault contrite."  [1913 Webster]

  "The proud he tamed, the penitent he cheered."  [1913 Webster]
•  Doing penance.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

penitent, n. 

•  One who repents of sin; one sorrowful on account of his transgressions.  [1913 Webster]
•  One under church censure, but admitted to penance; one undergoing penance.  [1913 Webster]
•  One under the direction of a confessor.  [1913 Webster]

  " Penitents is an appellation given to certain fraternities in Roman Catholic countries, distinguished by their habit, and employed in charitable acts."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

penitent, adj. & n.
--adj. regretting and wishing to atone for sins etc.; repentant.
--n.
1 a repentant sinner.
2 a person doing penance under the direction of a confessor.
3 (in pl.) various RC orders associated for mutual discipline etc.

Derivative

penitence n. penitently adv.

Etymology

ME f. OF f. L paenitens f. paenitere repent

DEVIL DICTIONARY

penitent

adj. Undergoing or awaiting punishment.

THESAURUS

penitent

Magdalen, abject, apologetic, compunctious, confessor, conscience-stricken, contrite, grief-stricken, humbled, melted, penitential, penitentiary, prodigal returned, prodigal son, regretful, remorseful, repentant, rueful, sad, sheepish, softened, sorrowful, sorry, touched

ROGET THESAURUS

penitent

Penitence

N penitence, contrition, compunction, repentance, remorse, regret, self-reproach, self-reproof, self-accusation, self-condemnation, self-humiliation, stings of conscience, pangs of conscience, qualms of conscience, prickings of conscience, twinge of conscience, twitch of conscience, touch of conscience, voice of conscience, compunctious visitings of nature, acknowledgment, confession, apology, recantation, penance, resipiscence, awakened conscience, deathbed repentance, locus paenitentiae, stool of repentance, cuttystool, penitent, repentant, Magdalen, prodigal son, a sadder and a wiser man, penitent, repenting, repentant, contrite, conscience- smitten, conscience-stricken, self-accusing, self-convicted, penitential, penitentiary, reclaimed, reborn, not hardened, unhardened, mea culpa, peccavi, erubuit, salva res est, Tu l'as voulu, Georges Dandin, and wet his grave with my repentant tears, penitence, contrition, compunction, repentance, remorse, regret, self-reproach, self-reproof, self-accusation, self-condemnation, self-humiliation, stings of conscience, pangs of conscience, qualms of conscience, prickings of conscience, twinge of conscience, twitch of conscience, touch of conscience, voice of conscience, compunctious visitings of nature, acknowledgment, confession, apology, recantation, penance, resipiscence, awakened conscience, deathbed repentance, locus paenitentiae, stool of repentance, cuttystool, penitent, repentant, Magdalen, prodigal son, a sadder and a wiser man, penitent, repenting, repentant, contrite, conscience- smitten, conscience-stricken, self-accusing, self-convicted, penitential, penitentiary, reclaimed, reborn, not hardened, unhardened, mea culpa, peccavi, erubuit, salva res est, Tu l'as voulu, Georges Dandin, and wet his grave with my repentant tears.