pen·i·tent
ˈpe-nə-tənt 
: feeling or expressing humble or regretful pain or sorrow for sins or offenses : repentant
penitently
adverb
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
Synonyms
Examples of penitent in a Sentence
Adjective
a penitent gossip who had come to ask for forgiveness
Recent Examples on the Web
EW.com, 16 Nov. 2023
Eighteen years later, playing the beloved daughter of Al Pacino’s Michael, she is shot dead on the steps of the opera house in Palermo, taking a bullet meant for the belatedly penitent godfather, who now comprehends without any doubt that there is no escaping the sins of his or his relatives’ past.
—Andrew Marzoni, The New Republic, 3 Nov. 2023
Chris Sims, The Courier-Journal, 14 Feb. 2024
The elderly sage was cast as a doleful penitent, making up for youthful indiscretions.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
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Adjective
But with Cash on the vocals, the song and the man singing are nearly penitent.
—EW.com, 16 Nov. 2023
Eighteen years later, playing the beloved daughter of Al Pacino’s Michael, she is shot dead on the steps of the opera house in Palermo, taking a bullet meant for the belatedly penitent godfather, who now comprehends without any doubt that there is no escaping the sins of his or his relatives’ past.
—Andrew Marzoni, The New Republic, 3 Nov. 2023
Noun
Serious sinners and penitents began a public penance on the first day of Lent.
—Chris Sims, The Courier-Journal, 14 Feb. 2024
The elderly sage was cast as a doleful penitent, making up for youthful indiscretions.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
See all Example Sentences for penitent
Dictionary Entries Near penitent
Cite this Entry
“Penitent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/penitent. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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