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penitent

Adjective

IPA /ˈpenɪtənt/

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Meaning in plain English

Feeling or showing sincere regret for something you have done wrong.

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Pronunciation

penitent/ˈpenɪtənt/

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A vase is broken through carelessness
The person feels genuine regret
A sincere apology follows

A penitent person feels sorry for a wrong action and shows remorse.

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The penitent child apologised for breaking the vase.
In a penitent email, he admitted that he had ignored the instructions.

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The ________ child apologised for breaking the vase.

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penitent — Feeling or showing sincere regret for something you have done wrong.

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Feeling or showing sincere regret for something you have done wrong.

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Word origin

From Old French and Latin paenitent-, meaning repenting.

Did you know?

Penitent describes remorse, while a penitent can also be a noun for a person expressing repentance.

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