penitent

views updated

pen·i·tent / ˈpenitnt/ • adj. feeling or showing sorrow and regret for having done wrong; repentant: a penitent expression.• n. a person who repents their sins or wrongdoings and (in the Christian Church) seeks forgiveness from God. ∎  (in the Roman Catholic Church) a person who confesses their sins to a priest and submits to the penance that he imposes.DERIVATIVES: pen·i·tence n.pen·i·tent·ly adv.

More From encyclopedia.com