Adjacent Words

Penitent definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PEN'ITENT, a. [L.poenitens.] Suffering pain or sorrow of heart on account of sins, crimes or offenses; contrite; sincerely affected by a sense of guilt and resolving on amendment of life.
The proud he tam'd, the penitent he cheer'd.
PEN'ITENT, n. One that repents of sin; one sorrowful on account of his transgressions.
1. One under church censure, but admitted to penance.
2. One under the direction of a confessor.
Penitents is an appellation given to certain fraternities in catholic countries, distinguished by their habits and employed in charitable acts.
Order of penitents, a religious order established by one Bernard of Marseilles, about the year 1272, for the reception of reformed courtezans. The congregation of penitents at Paris, was founded with a similar view.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: feeling or expressing remorse for misdeeds [syn: penitent, repentant] [ant: impenitent, unremorseful, unrepentant] n
1: (Roman Catholic Church) a person who repents for wrongdoing (a Roman Catholic may be admitted to penance under the direction of a confessor)

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French penitent, from Latin paenitent-, paenitens, from present participle of paenit?re to cause regret, feel regret, perhaps from paene almost Date: 14th century feeling or expressing humble or regretful pain or sorrow for sins or offenses ; repentant • penitently adverb II. noun Date: 14th century 1. a person who repents of sin 2. a person under church censure but admitted to penance or reconciliation especially under the direction of a confessor

Oxford Reference Dictionary

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. Derivatives: penitence n. penitently adv. Etymology: ME f. OF f. L paenitens f. paenitere repent

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Penitent Pen"i*tent, a. [F. p['e]nitent, L. paenitens, -entis, poenitens, p. pr. of paenitere, poenitere, to cause to repent, to repent; prob. akin to poena punishment. See Pain.] 1. 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. Be penitent, and for thy fault contrite. --Milton. The pound he tamed, the penitent he cheered. --Dryden. 2. Doing penance. [Obs.] --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Penitent Pen"i*tent, n. 1. One who repents of sin; one sorrowful on account of his transgressions. 2. One under church censure, but admitted to penance; one undergoing penance. 3. One under the direction of a confessor. Note: Penitents is an appellation given to certain fraternities in Roman Catholic countries, distinguished by their habit, and employed in charitable acts.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Someone who is penitent is very sorry for something wrong that they have done, and regrets their actions. (LITERARY) Robert Gates sat before them, almost penitent about the past... ...penitent criminals. ADJ: usu v-link ADJ • penitently He sat penitently in his chair by the window. ADV: ADV after v

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. a. Repentant, contrite, remorseful, sorry, sorrowful. II. n. 1. Repentant. 2. Penitentiary, repentant, penance-doer.

Foolish Dictionary

From pen, meaning to write, and intent, meaning determination. One who determines for the right.

Moby Thesaurus

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