repentance

C2+ Topic:Describing People

US /rɪˈpɛntəns/ UK /rɪˈpɛntəns/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
sincere regret or remorse for wrongdoing or sin

His tears were taken as a sign of genuine repentance.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · sincere regret or remorse... contrition remorse penitence regret compunction atonement

Opposites

impenitenceobduracy

Word family

Related forms repent repentant penitent

Etymology

From Old French repentance, from repentir ('to repent'), from re- (intensive) + Latin paenitere ('to cause to regret'), from paene ('almost').

repentir Old French paenitere Latin paene Latin

View etymology graph ->

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# repentance

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /rɪˈpɛntəns/
**IPA (UK):** /rɪˈpɛntəns/

## Meanings
1. sincere regret or remorse for wrongdoing or sin

## Examples
- His tears were taken as a sign of genuine repentance.

## Synonyms
- contrition
- remorse
- penitence
- regret
- compunction
- atonement

## Antonyms
- impenitence
- obduracy

## Related Forms
- repent
- repentant
- penitent

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: repentir
- Root: paenitere
- Root: paene

## Etymology
From Old French repentance, from repentir ('to repent'), from re- (intensive) + Latin paenitere ('to cause to regret'), from paene ('almost').

## AI Etymology
Repentance comes from Old French repentance, from repentir ('to repent'), from re- (intensive) + Latin paenitere ('to cause to regret'), from paene ('almost'). The form is best read as a historical transfer or inheritance, with its older language material carrying the main semantic load. As a noun, it carries the sense "sincere regret or remorse for wrongdoing or sin", with the older formation still helping explain the modern use. Relevant historical forms include Old French repentir, Latin paenitere, and Latin paene. Related words include repent, repentant, penitent.

## Topics
- Describing People

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repentance

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