Repentant
/rɪˈpɛn.tənt/noun
Feeling or showing sincere regret for wrongdoing.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Latin roots meaning “to think again,” so repentance began as a mental reversal before it became a moral one.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pen-
“to think, feel, be mindful”
Latin
Latin
paenitēre
“to cause regret, to make sorry”
Late Latin
Latin
paenitēns
“feeling regret; repenting”
Old French
Old French
repentir
“to feel remorse, be sorry”
Middle English
English
repentant
“feeling remorse or contrition”
Modern English
English
repentant
“feeling or showing sincere regret for wrongdoing”
Explore more surprising origins