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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

penance en · NOUN

Pronunciation

Etymology

From Middle English penaunce, from Anglo-Norman, from Old French peneance, from Latin paenitentia (“repentance, penitence”). Doublet of penitence.

Meanings

  1. (countable, uncountable) A voluntary self-imposed punishment for a sinful act or wrongdoing. It may be intended to serve as reparation for the act.
    • Quoth he, "The man hath penance done, / And penance more will do." 1797–1798 (date written), [Samuel Taylor Coleridge], “The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere”, in Lyrical Ballads, with a Few Other Poems, London: […] J[ohn] & A[rthur] Arch, […], published 1798, →OCLC:
  2. (countable, uncountable) A sacrament in some Christian churches that involves penitence (remorse plus restitution via prayer).
  3. (countable, uncountable) Any instrument of self-punishment.
  4. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) repentance
  5. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) pain; sorrow; suffering

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
penances Number=Plur lexicographic

Coordinates

prayaschitta

Deriveds

penanceless · unpenanced

Synonyms

atonement · penitence

Translations (61)

ar كَفَّارَة (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · gd peanas (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · txb pälśalñe (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · ca penitència (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · gl penitencia (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · ja 苦行 (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · cmn 修和圣事 (sacrament in some churches) · da pønitense (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · oc peniténcia (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · hu vezeklés (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · sv bot (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · sh pokora (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · pt penitência (sacrament in some churches) · ja 難行 (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · nl penitentie (sacrament in some churches) · de Bußübung (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · ka მონანიება (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · pl pokuta (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · fi katumusharjoitus (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · mk покаја́ние (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · de Bußwerk (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · cmn 苦修 (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · de Bußverfahren (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · fr pénitence (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · es penitencia (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · mk покају́вање (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · ja 難行苦行 (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · de Bußleistung (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · mi rīpenetātanga (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · oc pentiment (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · fa توبه (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · de Sühnung (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · cmn 苦行 (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · de Selbstkasteiung (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · it penitenza (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · sv penitens (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · uk покарання (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · hi तपस्या (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · hi प्रायश्चित (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · pt penitência (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · ca penitència (sacrament in some churches) · uk епітимія (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · sa प्रायश्चित्त (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · ar سِرّ التَوْبَة (sacrament in some churches) · de Buße (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · it penitenza (sacrament in some churches) · de Pönitenz (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · fr pénitence (sacrament in some churches) · da bod (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · nl berouw (sacrament in some churches) · ga aithrí (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · ro pocăință (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · no bot (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · de Bußsakrament (sacrament in some churches) · ru искупле́ние (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · ga aithrí (sacrament in some churches) · es penitencia (sacrament in some churches) · nl boetedoening (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · cmn 和好圣事 (sacrament in some churches) · bg покая́ние (voluntary self-imposed punishment) · fi katumus (sacrament in some churches)

penance en · VERB

Pronunciation

Etymology

From Middle English penaunce, from Anglo-Norman, from Old French peneance, from Latin paenitentia (“repentance, penitence”). Doublet of penitence.

Meanings

  1. To impose penance; to punish.
    • She seem'd, at once, some penanced lady elf, / Some demon mistress, or the demon's self. 1819, John Keats, “Lamia”, in Lamia, Isabella, the Eve of St. Agnes, and Other Poems, London: […] [Thomas Davison] for Taylor and Hessey, […], published 1820, →OCLC, part I, page 6:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
penances Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
penanced Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
penanced Tense=Past lexicographic
penancing Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic

Synonyms

give someone what for · teach someone a lesson · fix someone's wagon · have someone's hide · tar out · malavogue · gruel · have someone's head · nail someone to the wall · penalize · give it to someone · come down on · chasten · castigate · tan someone's hide · castigate · have someone's guts for garters · give what for · chastise · punish · penalize · correct · amerce · penance