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penitential

American  
[pen-i-ten-shuhl] / ˌpɛn ɪˈtɛn ʃəl /

adjective

  1. of, pertaining to, proceeding from, or expressive of penitence or repentance.

noun

  1. a penitent.

  2. a book or code of canons relating to penance, its imposition, etc.

penitential British  
/ ˌpɛnɪˈtɛnʃəl /

adjective

  1. of, showing, or constituting penance

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. RC Church a book or compilation of instructions for confessors

  2. a less common word for penitent penitent

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • penitentially adverb
  • unpenitential adjective
  • unpenitentially adverb

Etymology

Origin of penitential

1500–10; < Medieval Latin pēnitēntiālis, Late Latin paenitēntiālis. See penitent, -ial

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.