Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definitions: Penitent |
PenitentAdjective1. Feeling or expressing remorse for misdeeds. Noun1. A person who repents for wrongdoing (a Roman Catholic may be admitted to penance under the direction of a confessor). Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "penitent" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1321. (references) |
| Domain | Definitions |
Satire | PENITENT, adj. Undergoing or awaiting punishment. Source: Devil's Dictionary. |
19th Century Satire | From pen, meaning to write, and intent, meaning determination. One who determines for the right. Source: Foolish Dictionary, 1904. |
Geography | Tall, conical column of unconsolidated to semiconsolidated earth materials, e. g. clay, till or landslide debris, produced by differential erosion in a region of sporadic heavy rainfall, as in a badland or high alpine valley, and usually capped by a flat, hard boulder that shielded the underlying softer material from erosion. Source: European Union. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
Synonym: PenitentSynonym: repentant (adj). (additional references) |
| Antonym: impenitent (adj). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Penitence | Verb: repent, be sorry for; be penitent; Adjective: rue; regret; think better of; recant; knock under; (submit); plead guilty; sing miserere, sing de profundis; cry peccavi; own oneself in the wrong; acknowledge, confess; (disclose); humble oneself; beg pardon; (apologize); turn over a new leaf, put on the new man, turn from sin; reclaim; repent in sackcloth and ashes; (do penance); learn by experience. |
Penitent, repentant, Magdalen, prodigal son, "a sadder and a wiser man". | |
Adjective: penitent; repenting;Verb: repentant, contrite; conscience-smitten, conscience-stricken; self-accusing, self-convicted. | |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Penitent |
| English words defined with "penitent": confession ♦ impenitent ♦ Penaunt ♦ unremorseful, unrepentant. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "penitent": Calista ♦ Dismas, Dying Sayings ♦ MAGDALENE ♦ Penitent ♦ Relics ♦ Scarification ♦ Thieves, The two. (references) |
| Etymologies containing "penitent": Penaunt. (references) |
| Non-English Usage: "Penitent" is also a word in the following language with the English translation in parentheses. Romanian (penitent). |
| Domain | Usage | |
Movie/TV Titles | The Penitent (1912) Penitent (1992) The Penitent (1988) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title |
Books | |
Theater & Movies | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit |  | "Here the fair humble penitent behold,... / [John Collier].Credit: National Library of Medicine. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Title | Author | Quote |
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man | Joyce, James | The penitent emerged from the side of the box. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Lexicography | Devil's Dictionary | MAGDALENE, n. An inhabitant of Magdala. Popularly, a woman found out. This definition of the word has the authority of ignorance, Mary of Magdala being another person than the penitent woman mentioned by St. Luke. It has also the official sanction of the governments of Great Britain and the United States. In England the word is pronounced Maudlin, whence maudlin, adjective, unpleasantly sentimental. With their Maudlin for Magdalene, and their Bedlam for Bethlehem, the English may justly boast themselves the greatest of revisers. |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| "Penitent" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 44.74% of the time. "Penitent" is used about 38 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 44.74% | 17 | 85,106 |
| Adjective (general or positive) | 44.74% | 17 | 85,106 |
| Noun (proper) | 10.53% | 4 | 175,879 |
| Total | 100.00% | 38 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| The following table summarizes names derived from the word "penitent". | |||
| Name | Gender | Language | Meaning |
| Naum | N/A | Russian | Penitent |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references.
| |||
Expressions using "penitent": be penitent ♦ penitent thief. Additional references. | |
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Containing "penitent": priest-penitent privilege. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day |
penitent | 18 |
magdalene penitent | 4 |
fair penitent | 3 |
calista fair penitent | 2 |
fair penitent she tragedy | 2 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Language | Translations for "penitent"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Afrikaan | berouvol (contrite, repentant), berouhebbend (contrite, repentant). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Albanian | pendestar (penitential), i penduar (contrite, prodigal, regretful, remorseful, repentant). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arabic | نادم (bad, contrite, regretful, repent, repentant), تائب (repentant), النادم, التائب عن الخطايا, التائب (reformed). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bulgarian | разкаял се грешник (penitential), разкаял се (repentant sinner), каящ се грешник (penitential), каящ се, покаяник. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Czech | kajícný (apologetic, contrite, penitential, remorseful, repentant). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Danish | erosionspille (demoiselle, earth pyramid, earth-pillar, erosion column, fairy chimney, hoodoo column, rain pillar, sand pinacle). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dutch | boetvaardig (contrite, repentant), berouwvol (contrite, repentant), aardpyramide (demoiselle, earth pyramid, earth-pillar, erosion column, fairy chimney, hoodoo column, rain pillar, sand pinacle). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Esperanto | pentanta (contrite, repentant). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Farsi | پشیمان (Contrite, Regretful), نادم (Remorseful, Repent), توبه کار (Contrite), تاءب (Repentant), اندوهناک (Remorseful, Rueful, Sad, Woeful). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Finnish | maapyramidi (demoiselle, earth pyramid, earth-pillar, erosion column, fairy chimney, hoodoo column, rain pillar, sand pinacle). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
French | pyramide coiffée, pilier d'érosion, pénitent, nonne, demoiselle coiffée, demoiselle, colonne coiffée, cheminée de fées. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
German | reuig (contrite, contritely, penitential, penitently, remorseful, repentant, rueful, ruefully), bußfertig (contrite, repentant). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Greek | γεωπυραμίδα (demoiselle, earth pyramid, earth-pillar, erosion column, fairy chimney, hoodoo column, rain pillar, sand pinacle), μετανιωμένοσ (repentant), μετανοών (repentant, repentanter), "στήλοι μαγισσών". (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hebrew | חוזר בתשוב" (contrite, repentant sinner), בעל תשוב" (contrite, remorseful, repentant). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hungarian | vezeklõ (contrite, purgatory, repentant), bûnbánó (contrite, remorseful, repentant). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Irish | aithríoch. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Italian | pentito (contrite, regrets, repentant, rues). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Kanji | "い"める (to be penitent, to repent). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Katakana | くいあらためる (to be penitent, to repent). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Manx | arryssagh (regretful, sorry). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pig Latin | enitentpay chaminé de fada (demoiselle, earth pyramid, earth-pillar, erosion column, fairy chimney, hoodoo column, rain pillar, sand pinacle), arrependimento (regret, repentance, rue, sorriness). (various references) pocãit (contrite), penitent, de corecţie (penitentiary), care se pocãieşte. (various references) раскаивающийся (contrite, regretful, repentant), кающийся грешник (repentant sinner). (various references) pokajnik (repentant sinner), pokajni. (various references) penitente. (various references) botfärdig, ångerfull (contrite, pepentant, remorseful, repentant). (various references) pişman olan kimse, pişman (contrite, regretful, remorseful, repentant, rueful, sorry), papazın verdiği cezayı çeken kimse, tövbeli (repentant, repentant sinner), tövbekâr (repentant sinner), kefaret ödeyen kimse. (various references) який розкаю"ться (regretful), грішник, що розкаю"ться. (various references) người hối lỗi, người biết sám hối, người ăn năn, hối lỗi; sám hối, ăn năn (contrite, penitential, remorseful, repentant). (various references) edifeirus (repentant), edifar (sorry). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | contrita, contritae, contritaeque, contriti, contritis, contrito, contritos, contritum, contritus. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "penitent": penitential, penitentially, penitentiaries, penitentiary, penitently, penitents. (additional references) | |
Words ending with "penitent": impenitent. (additional references) | |
Words containing "penitent": impenitently. (additional references) | |
| |
"Penitent" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: genotext, penetent, penigent, penitant, penite, penitente, Pennistons, pennitant, pentimento, phengite, phenotext, poniente, puniten. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "penitent" (pronounced pe"nutunt) |
| 5 | -u t u n t | adjutant, competent, concomitant, exorbitant, hesitant, impotent, incompetent, inhabitant, irritant, militant, omnipotent. |
| 4 | -t u n t | accountant, assistant, blatant, combatant, consistent, constant, consultant, contestant, decongestant, disinfectant, distant, existent, expectant, extant, exultant, important, inadvertent, inconsistent, insistent, instant, intermittent, latent, mutant, noncombatant, nonexistent, patent, persistent, pollutant, potent, protestant, reluctant, repentant, resistant, resultant, surfactant, unimportant, unrepentant. |
| 3 | -u n t | abandonment, abatement, aberrant, abhorrent, abortifacient, absent, absorbent, abstinent, abundant, accelerant, accident, accompaniment, accomplishment, accouterment, achievement, acknowledgement, acknowledgment, adamant, adherent, adjacent, adjournment, adjustment, adolescent, adornment, advancement, advertisement, advisement, afferent, affiant, affluent, agent, aggrandizement, agreement, ailment, alignment, allotment, amazement, ambient, ambivalent, amendment, amusement, ancient, announcement, annulment, antecedent, antidepressant, antigovernment, antioxidant, apartment, apparent, appeasement, applicant, appointment, apportionment, ardent, argent, argument, armament, arraignment, arrangement, arrant, arrogant, ascendant, aspirant, assailant, assessment, assignment, assortment, astonishment, astringent, atonement, attachment, attainment, attendant, banishment, basement, battlement, belligerent, bemusement, beneficent, benevolent, bereavement, betterment, bewilderment, blandishment, bombardment, brilliant, buoyant, celebrant, claimant, clairvoyant, Clement, client, coefficient, cogent, cognizant, coherent, coincident, commandment, commencement, commitment, compartment, complacent, complainant, complaisant, complement, compliant, component, comportment, concealment, concurrent, condiment, confident, confinement, confluent, consequent, consignment, consonant, constituent, containment, contaminant, contentment, continent, contingent, convalescent, convenient, convent, convergent, conversant, coolant, copayment, corespondent, cormorant, correspondent, Courant, covenant, Crescent, crosscurrent, current, curtailment, debarment, debasement, decadent, decedent, decent, declarant, defendant, deferment, defiant, deficient, defoliant, delinquent, deodorant, department, dependent, deployment, deportment, depressant, derailment, descendant, descendent, despondent, detachment, detergent, determent, determinant, deterrent, detriment, development, deviant, different, diligent, diminishment, disagreement, disappointment, disarmament, disbarment, disbursement, discernment, discordant, discouragement, disenchantment, disenfranchisement, disengagement, disestablishment, disgruntlement, disillusionment, disinvestment, dismantlement, dismemberment, disobedient, dispersant, displacement, dissident, dissonant, divalent, divergent, divestment, docent, dominant, dormant, easement, ebullient, efferent, effervescent, efficient, effluent, elegant, element, elephant, eloquent, embankment, embarrassment, embayment, embellishment, embezzlement, embodiment, emergent, emigrant, eminent, emplacement, employment, empowerment, enactment, encampment, enchantment, encirclement, encouragement, encroachment, endangerment, endearment, endorsement, endowment, enforcement, engagement, enhancement, enjoyment, enlargement, enlightenment, enlistment, enrichment, enrollment, enslavement, entanglement, entertainment, enticement, entitlement, entombment, entrant, entrapment, entrenchment, environment, equipment, equivalent, errant, escapement, escarpment, esculent, establishment, estrangement, evanescent, evident, excellent, excitement, excrement, exigent, expectorant, expedient, experiment, exponent, extinguishment, extravagant, exuberant, Fabricant, fervent, figment, filament, flagrant, flamboyant, flatulent, flippant, fluent, fluorescent, formant, fragment, fragrant, fraudulent, frequent, fulfillment, gallant, garment, garnishment, giant, government, grandiloquent, grandparent, harassment, hydrant, ignorant, immanent, immigrant, imminent, impairment, impatient, impeachment, impediment, impertinent, implement, impoundment, impoverishment, impressment, imprisonment, improvement, imprudent, incandescent, incessant, incident, incipient, incitement, inclement, incoherent, incontinent, inconvenient, increment, incumbent, indecent, independent, indictment, indifferent, indigent, indignant, indolent, inducement, indulgent, inefficient, infant, informant, infotainment, infrequent, infringement, ingredient, inhalant, inherent, innocent, inpatient, insignificant, insolent, insolvent, installment, instrument, insufficient, insurgent, integument, intelligent, intercurrent, interdependent, internment, intersegment, intolerant, intransigent, invariant, investment, involvement, iridescent, irrelevant, irreverent, itinerant, jubilant, judgement, judgment, leant, lenient, lieutenant, ligament, litigant, lubricant, lucent, luminescent, luxuriant, magnificent, malevolent, malignant, maltreatment, management, measurement, merchant, micromanagement, migrant, miscreant, misgovernment, misjudgment, mismanagement, misstatement, mistreatment, moment, monovalent, monument, mordant, movement, nascent, negligent, nongovernment, nonmanagement, nonpayment, nonresident, nonviolent, nourishment, nutrient, obedient, observant, obsolescent, occupant, odorant, ointment, omnipresent, omniscient, operant, opponent, opulent, ornament, orpiment, outpatient, outplacement, overconfident, overpayment, overstatement, oxidant, pageant, parchment, parent, parliament, participant, patient, pavement, payment, peasant, penchant, pendant, pennant, percipient, permanent, pertinent, petulant, pheasant, pigment, piquant, placement, pleasant, pliant, poignant, postponement, postretirement, preadolescent, precedent, predicament, predominant, preeminent, pregnant, prejudgment, prepayment, prescient, present, presentment, prevalent, procurement, proficient, prominent, pronouncement, propellant, proponent, provident, prudent, prurient, pungent, punishment, pursuant, puzzlement, quadrant, quiescent, quotient, radiant, rampant, readjustment, reagent, realignment, reappointment, reapportionment, rearmament, rearrangement, reassessment, reassignment, recalcitrant, recent, recipient, recombinant, recruitment, recurrent, redeployment, redevelopment, redundant, reemployment, reenactment, refinement, refreshment, refrigerant, refurbishment, Regent, regiment, registrant, reimbursement, reinforcement, reinstatement, reinvestment, relevant, reliant, reminiscent, remnant, repayment, repellent, replacement, replenishment, repugnant, requirement, resentment, resettlement, resident, resilient, resonant, resplendent, respondent, restatement, resurgent, retardant, reticent, retirement, retrenchment, reverent, rodent, rudiment, ruminant, sacrament, salient, seafront, sealant, sediment, segment, semipermanent, sentiment, Sequent, sergeant, serpent, servant, settlement, shipment, significant, silent, solvent, somnolent, stagnant, statement, stimulant, strident, stringent, student, subcontinent, subsequent, subservient, succulent, sufficient, supergiant, superintendent, supplement, supplicant, suppressant, talent, tangent, temperament, tenant, tenement, testament, tetravalent, tolerant, torrent, tournament, transcendent, transient, translucent, transparent, treatment, trenchant, trident, triumphant, truant, truculent, tumescent, turbulent, tyrant, undercurrent, underdevelopment, underemployment, undergarment, underpayment, understatement, unemployment, unpleasant, urgent, vacant, vagrant, valiant, variant, vehement, verdant, vibrant, vigilant, violent, virulent, warrant, wonderment. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "e-e-i-n-n-p-t-t" | |
-2 letters: intent, petite, pinene, tenpin, tentie. | |
-3 letters: inept, penne, penni, petit, petti, tenet. | |
-4 letters: neep, nene, nett, nine, nite, peen, pein, pent, pine, pint, teen, tent, tine, tint. | |
-5 letters: inn, nee, net, nip, nit, pee, pen, pet, pie, pin, pit, tee, ten, tet, tie, tin, tip, tit. | |
| Words containing the letters "e-e-i-n-n-p-t-t" | |
+1 letter: penitents, pertinent. | |
+2 letters: impenitent, penitently, turpentine. | |
+3 letters: impertinent, incompetent, penetrating, penetration, penitential, pentlandite, pertinently, plenipotent, presentient, septentrion, spinnerette, turpentined, turpentines. | |
+4 letters: impenitently, incompetents, intercepting, interception, interplanted, interpreting, penetrations, penitentiary, pentlandites, presentation, presentiment, repatterning, septentrions, spinnerettes. | |
+5 letters: antepenultima, impertinently, incompetently, interceptions, nonpersistent, omnicompetent, penetratingly, penitentially, posttensioned, presentations, presentiments, reappointment, septentrional, spontaneities, stepparenting, steppingstone, uninterrupted, unpretentious. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
Hexadecimal (or equivalents, 770AD-1900s) (references)50 65 6E 69 74 65 6E 74 |
| Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519; backwards) (references)
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| American Sign Language (origins from 1620-1817 in Italy and, especially, France) (references)
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| Semaphore (1791, in France) (references)
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| Braille (1829, in France) (references)
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Morse Code (1836) (references).--. . -. .. - . -. - |
| Dancing Men (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1903) (references)
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Binary Code (1918-1938, probably earlier) (references)01010000 01100101 01101110 01101001 01110100 01100101 01101110 01110100 |
HTML Code (1990) (references)P e n i t e n t |
ISO 10646 (1991-1993) (references)0050 0065 006E 0069 0074 0065 006E 0074 |
| British Sign Language (Fingerspelling, BSL; 1992, British Deaf Association Dictionary of British Sign Language) (references)
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Encryption (beginner's substitution cypher): (references)5071807586718086 |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Usage: Commercial 6. Images: Slideshow 7. Images: Photo Album 8. Quotations: Fiction | 9. Quotations: Non-fiction 10. Usage Frequency 11. Names: Derived from 12. Expressions | 13. Expressions: Internet 14. Translations: Modern 15. Translations: Ancient 16. Derivations | 17. Rhymes 18. Anagrams 19. Orthography 20. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
