Added 9 October 2026
penance
/ˈpɛn.əns/ noun
Latin root: paenitentia Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about penance at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- Remorse for your past conduct.
- A Catholic sacrament; repentance and confession and atonement and absolution.
- Voluntary self-punishment in order to atone for some wrongdoing.
Origin
From Middle English penaunce, from Anglo-Norman, from Old French peneance, from Latin paenitentia (“repentance, penitence”). Doublet of penitence.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)