pœnitential

A form of penitential — Pertaining to penance or penitence.

Meanings

adjectivepœnitential (comparative more pœnitential, superlative most pœnitential)

comparative more pœnitential · superlative most pœnitential

  1. archaicArchaic spelling of penitential.
    2 more examples

    We ſhould ſtudy to be skilful Confeſſaries, as well as good Preachers, to know when and how to uſe the Power of remitting and retaining Sins, of bleſſing the People, and of adminiſtring the Chriſtian Sacrifices aright. Theſe things God expects indiſpenſably from us, as well as Preaching, and of which let me ſay to thoſe, who as it were devote themſelves to the one, and neglect the other, theſe things ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone, That of the two, requires our Care at leaſt as much as this, tho’ it is now ſo much diſſuſed, chiefly I fear by the want of Pœnitential Canons, which every Biſhop of any Country may ſupply in his own Dioceſs, till the whole College can make pœnitential Canons for the Dioceſſes of the National Church.

    1707, George Hickes, Two Treatiſes, One of the Chriſtian Prieſthood, The Other of the Dignity of the Epiſcopal Order, preface, pages ccxl-ccxli

    Afterwards there were divers articles exhibited to them against the Lady Purbeck for adultery, and Mrs. Peele, and others; that she in annis Domini 1621, 1622, 1623, or 1624, in some one or all of these was an abettor of this adultery. For which she was sentenced to pay 200l. &c. and that she made a pœnitential acknowledgement of her offence, and farther that she shall be imprisoned untill she found security for the performance of that order.

    1912, The English Reports (W. Green), volume 4 or 124, page 380
Cite this entry
APA

pœnitential. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/p%C5%93nitential

MLA

“pœnitential.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/p%C5%93nitential. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pœnitential,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/p%C5%93nitential.

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