as in remorse
a feeling of responsibility for wrongdoing
his determination to make things right again was seen as a sign of his sincere contriteness
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Recent Examples of contriteness
Recently, however, pride has partly given way to contriteness as President Emmanuel Macron, aware of France’s legacy as a former heavy-handed empire, has attempted to make amends for mistakes during the country’s imperial past.
—
The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Aug. 2025
The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contriteness
Noun
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Voters have expressed remorse In the years since Brexit, Britain’s political landscape has fractured, with declining support for the two long-dominant parties, Conservatives and Labour.—
Brian Melley,
Fortune,
21 June 2026
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In an interview with NBC4, the neighbor who called police expressed remorse for making the call.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
Noun
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Rather than adjudicating guilt, the filmmakers opted to leave the question of truth open to viewers.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
21 June 2026
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But moral injury, formidable as the idea is, doesn’t apply to Odysseus, who suffers from neither shame nor guilt.—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
21 June 2026
Noun
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The Knicks likely don't have any regrets about that now.—
Bryan Toporek,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
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The former president also expressed some regrets — such as the increase in political polarization during his two terms.—
Scott Bauer,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contriteness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contriteness. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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