Synonyms of penitence
6 similar words
Another word for penitence is penance. Other synonyms of penitence are contrition and compunction.
Synonyms and similar words for penitence
nounThe condition of being penitent; a feeling of regret or remorse for doing wrong or sinning.
- compunctionA pricking of conscience or a feeling of regret, especially one which is slight or fleeting.
- contritionThe state of being contrite; sincere penitence or remorse.
- remorse
- repentance
- penanceA sacrament in some Christian churches that involves penitence (remorse plus restitution via prayer).
- atonement
Meaning of penitence
- noun The condition of being penitent; a feeling of regret or remorse for doing wrong or sinning.
penitence in other languages
Questions about synonyms of penitence
- What is another word for penitence?
- Penitence has 6 synonyms on Word.ws, such as penance, contrition and compunction.
- What does penitence mean?
- Penitence means the condition of being penitent; a feeling of regret or remorse for doing wrong or sinning.
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: penitence (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this page: “Synonyms of penitence.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/penitence. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.