penance
Use Penance in a sentence
əns noun
1.
a punishment undergone in token of penitence for sin.
2.
a penitential discipline imposed by church authority.
3.
a sacrament, as in the Roman Catholic Church, consisting in a confession of sin, made with sorrow and with the intention of amendment, followed by the forgiveness of the sin.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To penance
00:10
Penance
is always a great word to know.
So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:
| a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc. |
| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
penance (ˈpɛnəns) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | voluntary self-punishment to atone for a sin, crime, etc |
| 2. | a feeling of regret for one's wrongdoings |
| 3. | Christianity |
| a. a punishment usually consisting of prayer, fasting, etc, undertaken voluntarily as an expression of penitence for sin | |
| b. a punishment of this kind imposed by church authority as a condition of absolution | |
| —vb | |
| 4. | (tr) (of ecclesiastical authorities) to impose a penance upon (a sinner) |
| [C13: via Old French from Latin paenitentia repentance; related to Latin poena penalty] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
penance
late 13c., "religious discipline or self-mortification as a token of repentance and as atonement for some sin," from Anglo-Fr. penaunce, O.Fr. penance, from L. pænitentia (see penitence). Transf. sense is recorded from c.1300.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
penance definition
Acts done to make up for sin. (See confession and indulgence.)
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
The unspoken penance will suffice.
Here, however, the defendant's own words did not indicate a true sense of sorrow or penance.
The novel appears to be an act of both penance and self-congratulation.
Laying himself this bare feels like an act of penance for surviving, and makes his character all the richer.
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