pen·ance
ˈpe-nən(t)s 
1
: an act of self-abasement, mortification (see mortification sense 3), or devotion performed to show sorrow or repentance for sin
He did charitable work as a penance.
2
: a sacramental rite that is practiced in Roman, Eastern, and some Anglican churches and that consists of private confession, absolution, and a penance directed by the confessor (see confessor sense 3a)
3
: something (such as a hardship or penalty) resembling an act of penance (as in compensating for an offense)
who go on cheap camping trips instead of real vacations as a kind of penance—
Judith Thurman
Judith Thurman
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How Should You Use penance?
Penance as a form of apology for a mistake can be either voluntary or ordered by someone else. Many religions include penance among the ways in which believers can show repentance or regret for a misdeed. The Christian season of Lent, 40 days long, is traditionally a time for doing penance.
Examples of penance in a Sentence
Noun
He did charitable work as a penance.
Recent Examples on the Web
Lauren Christensen, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2025
The pope’s already full schedule had intensified since the beginning in December of the 2025 Jubilee, a year of faith, penance and forgiveness of sins that takes place every quarter century.
—Elisabetta Povoledo, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2025
The boycott would begin March 3 on Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent and a 40-day period of prayer and penance leading up to Easter.
—Deborah Barfield Berry, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025
Eleven were condemned to the most extreme form of auto-da-fé—burning at the stake—and the rest to do penance.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 9 Mar. 2025
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Noun
The wrestling in this novel is with the nature and meaning of penance, atonement.
—Lauren Christensen, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2025
The pope’s already full schedule had intensified since the beginning in December of the 2025 Jubilee, a year of faith, penance and forgiveness of sins that takes place every quarter century.
—Elisabetta Povoledo, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2025
The boycott would begin March 3 on Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent and a 40-day period of prayer and penance leading up to Easter.
—Deborah Barfield Berry, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025
Eleven were condemned to the most extreme form of auto-da-fé—burning at the stake—and the rest to do penance.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for penance
Cite this Entry
“Penance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/penance. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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