different between penitence vs repent

English

Alternative forms

• pænitence (archaic)

Etymology

First attested circa 13th century, from Middle English penitence, from Old French penitence, from Latin paenitentia (“repentance, penitence”), from paenit?ns (“penitent”), present active participle of paenite? (“regret, repent”). Doublet of penance.

Pronunciation

• enPR: p?n??-t?ns

Noun

penitence (countable and uncountable, plural penitences)

1. The condition of being penitent; a feeling of regret or remorse for doing wrong or sinning.

Synonyms

• compunction, contrition, remorse, repentance, penance, atonement

• See also Thesaurus:remorse

Related terms

Translations

Middle French

Alternative forms

• paenitence
• poenitence

Etymology

From Latin paenitentia.

Noun

penitence f (plural penitences)

1. (chiefly Christianity) penitence (repentance for one's sins)

Descendants

• French: pénitence

Old French

Alternative forms

• penitance
• penitaunce

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin paenitentia.

Noun

penitence f (oblique plural penitences, nominative singular penitence, nominative plural penitences)

1. (chiefly Christianity) penitence (repentance for one's sins)

Descendants

• ? English: penitence
• Middle French: penitence
  • French: pénitence

English

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Old French repentir, from Vulgar Latin *repoenitere, from re- + a late derivative of poenitere (“be penitent”), alteration of Latin paenitere.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???p?nt/
• Rhymes: -?nt

Verb

repent (third-person singular simple present repents, present participle repenting, simple past and past participle repented)

1. (intransitive) To feel pain, sorrow, or regret for what one has done or omitted to do; the cause for repenting may be indicated with "of".
2. (theology, intransitive) To be sorry for sin as morally evil, and to seek forgiveness; to cease to practice sin and to love.
3. (transitive) To feel pain on account of; to remember with sorrow.
4. (transitive) To be sorry for, to regret.

5. (archaic, transitive) To cause to have sorrow or regret.

   • at that time she wolde nat, she seyde, for she was syke and myght nat ryde. "That me repentith," seyde the kynge […].
6. (obsolete, reflexive) To cause (oneself) to feel pain or regret.
   • c. 1515–1516, published 1568, John Skelton, Again?t venemous tongues enpoy?oned with ?claunder and fal?e detractions &c.:

     But if that I knewe what his name hight,
     For clatering of me I would him ?one quight;
     For his fal?e lying, of that I ?pake never,
     I could make him ?hortly repent him forever: […]

Synonyms

• afterthink
• regret
• rue

Derived terms

• marry in haste, repent at leisure

Related terms

• penance
• repentance
• repentant
• penitence
• penitent
• unrepentable

Translations

Etymology 2

From Latin r?p?ns, present participle of r?p? (“I creep”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??i?p?nt/

Adjective

repent

1. (chiefly botany) Creeping along the ground.

Synonyms

• reptant

References

• repent in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• repent in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

French

Verb

repent

1. third-person singular present indicative of repentir

Latin

Verb

r?pent

1. third-person plural future active indicative of r?p?