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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Our results suggest that a growing number of them – especially moderates, African Americans and young people – are experiencing voter’s remorse.—
Tatishe Nteta,
Fortune,
16 May 2026
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Testasecca testified during Wilson's trial When Wilson made it to trial, his dad took the stand in June 2024 and testified that his son showed no remorse after confessing to the murders over the phone, per Court TV.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
Noun
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Mayhew told me that he was still haunted by guilt.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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By Roger Cohen The guilt of my teenage conviction haunted me for decades.—
Chris Pomorski Roger Cohen Reginald Dwayne Betts David Marchese David Wallace-Wells Parul Sehgal Nitsuh Abebe Kim Hew-Low Kwame Anthony Appiah John Hodgman,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
Noun
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Asked about his choice to abandon journalism for banking, Calian expressed few regrets.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 May 2026
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Business leaders who learn to see the market through a solution provider’s eyes tend to ask sharper questions, filter out noise faster and avoid the costly regret of a misguided purchase.—
Eilon Reshef,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contriteness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contriteness. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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