PENITENCE

Pronunciation (US):

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does penitence mean? 

• PENITENCE (noun)
  The noun PENITENCE has 1 sense:

1. remorse for your past conduct

  Familiarity information: PENITENCE used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PENITENCE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Remorse for your past conduct

Classified under:

Nouns denoting feelings and emotions

Synonyms:

penance; penitence; repentance

Hypernyms ("penitence" is a kind of...):

compunction; remorse; self-reproach (a feeling of deep regret (usually for some misdeed))

Derivation:

penitent (feeling or expressing remorse for misdeeds)

penitential (showing or constituting penance)

penitentiary (used for punishment or reform of criminals or wrongdoers)

 Context examples 

I found as prevalent a fashion in the form of the penitence, as I had left outside in the forms of the coats and waistcoats in the windows of the tailors' shops.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

As for the moral turpitude that man unveiled to me, even with tears of penitence, I cannot, even in memory, dwell on it without a start of horror.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

She would not be ashamed of the appearance of the penitence, so justly and truly hers.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

Tell her of my misery and my penitence—tell her that my heart was never inconstant to her, and if you will, that at this moment she is dearer to me than ever.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Laurie resigned her to the 'nice little boy', and went to do his duty to Flo, without securing Amy for the joys to come, which reprehensible want of forethought was properly punished, for she immediately engaged herself till supper, meaning to relent if he then gave any signs penitence.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Penitence, humiliation, shame, pride, love, and trustfulness—I see them all; and in them all, I see that horror of I don't know what.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

I sat in the sun on a bench; the animal within me licking the chops of memory; the spiritual side a little drowsed, promising subsequent penitence, but not yet moved to begin.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

She felt all the force of that comparison; but not as her sister had hoped, to urge her to exertion now; she felt it with all the pain of continual self-reproach, regretted most bitterly that she had never exerted herself before; but it brought only the torture of penitence, without the hope of amendment.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

This, at the time I write, has been proved, I believe, to be the case; but, as it would have been flat blasphemy against the system to have hinted such a doubt then, I looked out for the penitence as diligently as I could.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

If each, I told myself, could be housed in separate identities, life would be relieved of all that was unbearable; the unjust might go his way, delivered from the aspirations and remorse of his more upright twin; and the just could walk steadfastly and securely on his upward path, doing the good things in which he found his pleasure, and no longer exposed to disgrace and penitence by the hands of this extraneous evil.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)