Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Language: Old French
Origin: pénitent, from Latin, present participle of paenitere 'to be sorry'

penitent

1 adjective
     
pen‧i‧tent1 formal
feeling sorry because you have done something wrong, and are intending not to do it again [= repentant]:
a penitent expression
—penitently adverb
—penitence noun [uncountable]
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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