Definition of «penance»

Penance is a term used to describe an act or expression of remorse, repentance, or atonement for one's sins or wrongdoings. It often involves self-denial, prayer, and/or performing good deeds as a means of seeking forgiveness from God or others. In some religions, such as Catholicism, penance is an important part of the process of obtaining absolution for sinful behavior.

Usage examples

He confessed his wrongdoings to the priest and was given a penance of saying ten Hail Marys and five Our Fathers.
After getting into a heated argument with his friend, John decided to perform acts of penance by offering to help him with his daily chores.
The monk retreated to the monastery to perform acts of penance, such as fasting and prayer, to seek forgiveness for his sins.
Maria felt guilty about cheating on the test and decided to do penance by studying extra hours for the next exam.
The convicted criminal realized the importance of penance and spent his time in prison reflecting on his actions and making amends.
In Catholic tradition, penance is often assigned by the priest during the Sacrament of Reconciliation as a way to restore the spiritual well-being of the repentant sinner.

Phrases with «penance»

Sentences with «penance»

Equifax offered all its customers a year of free credit monitoring as a sort of penance for the breach, but that had its issues. (policygenius.com)
A cynic might say Singer is atoning for having penned the Julian Assange biopic The Fifth Estate; as for the director, one assumes he's not making up for the cinematic war crime of having helmed The Cobbler so much as doing penance for playing a poorly drawn journo in The Wire's final newsprint - stained season. (filmcomment.com)
To get an idea of what I mean, here are the two instances when I expressed an opinion worthy of doing penance yesterday: (rachelheldevans.com)
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Definition of «penance»

Usage examples

Phrases with «penance»

Sentences with «penance»

See also