pænitent

A form of penitent — Feeling pain or sorrow on account of one's sins or offenses; feeling sincere guilt.

Meanings

adjectivepænitent (comparative more pænitent, superlative most pænitent)

comparative more pænitent · superlative most pænitent

  1. archaicArchaic spelling of penitent.
    1 more example

    But the mind of that man, whom Nature molded for a louer, is mild, expreſſing in the very countenance modeſty, and ſimple vertue; of a great but mercifull ſpirit, not hard to be entreated to ſpare ſupplyants, and contemne reuenge; exceeding pænitent when he himſelfe offends; a great louer of offices of humanity, impatient of idleneſſe and all occaſions of ſloth, vnleſſe for getting the great benefits which he hath receiued from Nature, he corrupt the felicity of his diſpoſition with laſciuious wantonning, and ſo idleneſſe.

    1633, John Barclay, translated by Thomas May, The Mirror of Minds: or, Barclay’s, Icon Animorum, page 289
Cite this entry
APA

pænitent. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/p%C3%A6nitent

MLA

“pænitent.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/p%C3%A6nitent. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pænitent,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/p%C3%A6nitent.

Source: pænitent on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.