penance

1 of 2

noun

pen·​ance ˈpe-nən(t)s 

1

: an act of self-abasement, mortification (see mortification sense 3), or devotion performed to show sorrow or repentance for sin

He did charitable work as a penance.

2

: a sacramental rite that is practiced in Roman, Eastern, and some Anglican churches and that consists of private confession, absolution, and a penance directed by the confessor (see confessor sense 3a)

3

: something (such as a hardship or penalty) resembling an act of penance (as in compensating for an offense)

… go on cheap camping trips instead of real vacations as a kind of penance.

—Judith Thurman

penance

2 of 2

verb

penanced; penancing

transitive verb

: to impose penance on

Did you know?

How Should You Use penance?

Penance as a form of apology for a mistake can be either voluntary or ordered by someone else. Many religions include penance among the ways in which believers can show repentance or regret for a misdeed. The Christian season of Lent, 40 days long, is traditionally a time for doing penance.

Examples of penance in a Sentence

Noun

He did charitable work as a penance.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

William Johnston, an associate professor of religious studies at the University of Dayton, previously told USA TODAY that abstaining from eating meat is also a form of penance – admitting to any wrongdoings and sins while turning back to belief in God. —Julia Gomez, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026

Serious sinners and penitents began a public penance on the first day of Lent. —Chris Sims, Louisville Courier Journal, 18 Feb. 2026

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a 40-day period for Christians worldwide to focus on reflection, prayer and penance ahead of Holy Friday and Easter. —Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 18 Feb. 2026

Its roots are in publicly paying penance for serious sins or crimes in the eyes of the church, like adultery or apostasy, which means renouncing the church and its beliefs. —Lianna Norman, Florida Times-Union, 16 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin poenitentia penitence

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1580, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

penance

noun

pen·​ance

ˈpen-ən(t)s

1

: an act showing sorrow or regret for sin

2

: a sacrament consisting of regret for sin, confession to a priest, an act showing sorrow or regret ordered by the confessor, and forgiveness