/ ˈpenəns; NAmE / noun
1.
[ C , usually sing. , U ] penance (for sth) ( especially in particular religions ) an act that you give yourself to do, or that a priest gives you to do in order to show that you are sorry for sth you have done wrong :
an act of penance
to do penance for your sins
2.
[ sing. ] something that you have to do even though you do not like doing it :
She regards living in New York as a penance; she hates big cities.
••
WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : from Old French , from Latin paenitentia repentance, from the verb paenitere be sorry.