repentant

adjective

re·pen·tant | \ ri-ˈpen-tᵊnt

How to pronounce repentant (audio)

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Definition of repentant

1 : experiencing repentance : penitent

2 : expressive of repentance

Other Words from repentant Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about repentant

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Examples of repentant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Canadians have been seething over the past week, as one repentant politician after another apologized for taking trips out of the country. — New York Times, "Canadian Politicians Face Ire After Taking Trips During the Holidays," 7 Jan. 2021 Once detained, or after turning themselves in, repentant fighters undergo a profiling process and appear before a judicial panel to provide testimonies. — The Christian Science Monitor, "Ex-Boko Haram fighters deradicalized, but still unreconciled," 8 Dec. 2020 Among Miami’s Cuban old guard, those who started arriving in the nineties are seen as Comunistas arrepentidos, or repentant Communists. — Stephania Taladrid, The New Yorker, "How Pro-Trump Disinformation Is Swaying a New Generation of Cuban-American Voters," 26 Oct. 2020 Shaheen, the Taliban spokesman in Doha, seemed anything but repentant. — Washington Post, "Taliban want US deal, but some in bigger hurry than others," 12 Sep. 2019 In that climate, Swift argued, defectors like Hoda—young, repentant, and digitally fluent—are unique propaganda assets. — Saul Elbein, The New Republic, "Hoda Muthana left the U.S. to join ISIS. Now she wants to return home to stand trial, but the Trump administration won’t let her. She is a test case for the future of birthright citizenship.," 23 Mar. 2020 But if there’s a way to make even that event feel repentant and contrite, the MFA will surely find it. — BostonGlobe.com, "As museums evolve, the MFA marks 150th anniversary by embracing change - The Boston Globe," 11 Oct. 2019 Nick Cartell superbly embodies every facet of Valjean’s character — from angry, vengeful young man to repentant middle-age man to noble elder. — Matthew J. Palm, orlandosentinel.com, "‘Les Miserables’: A beautiful message, beautifully told | Review," 23 Oct. 2019 Yet when Franklin performs it, the song recaptures the raw emotion that drove the man who wrote it, a repentant sinner praying for God’s grace in a moment of moral peril. — Geoff Edgers, Washington Post, "Aretha: Her story was in her songs," 19 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'repentant.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

18 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Repentant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repentant. Accessed 5 Mar. 2021.

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More Definitions for repentant

repentant

adjective

re·pen·tant | \ ri-ˈpen-tᵊnt

\

Kids Definition of repentant

: feeling or showing regret for something said or done

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