■ adjective feeling or showing sorrow and regret for having done wrong.
■ noun a person who repents their sins.
↘(in the Roman Catholic Church) a person who confesses their sins to a priest and submits to the penance that he imposes.
Derivatives
penitence noun
~ial adjective
~ly adverb
Origin
ME: from OFr., from L. paenitent- , paenitere 'repent'.