Penitential

Pronunciation: /ˌpɛnɪˈtɛnʃəl/

Definitions of penitential

adjective relating to or expressing penitence or repentance

Example Sentences

A1 The penitential music made me feel sad.

A2 She wrote a penitential letter to apologize for her mistake.

B1 The priest assigned a penitential task as part of the confession.

B2 The penitential practices during Lent are meant to encourage reflection and repentance.

C1 The monk engaged in penitential acts to atone for his sins.

C2 The penitential rituals of the ancient civilization were elaborate and solemn.

Examples of penitential in a Sentence

formal The churchgoers engaged in penitential prayers during the Lenten season.

informal After making a mistake, he took a penitential approach to make amends.

slang She was feeling penitential after messing up her presentation.

figurative The artist's use of dark colors gave the painting a penitential mood.

Grammatical Forms of penitential

• past tense: penitentialed
• plural: penitentials
• comparative: more penitential
• superlative: most penitential
• present tense: penitential
• future tense: will penitential
• perfect tense: have penitentialed
• continuous tense: is penitentialing
• singular: penitential
• positive degree: penitential
• infinitive: to penitential
• gerund: penitentialing
• participle: penitentialed

Origin and Evolution of penitential

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'penitential' originated from the Latin word 'paenitentialis', which is derived from 'paenitere' meaning to repent.

Evolution of the word: Originally used in religious contexts to refer to acts of penance or repentance, the word 'penitential' has evolved to also encompass a broader sense of remorse or regret in secular contexts.