penance

penance Definition

pen·ance (pen′əns)

noun

R.C.Ch., Eastern Orthodox Ch.
1. a sacrament involving the confession of sin, repentance, and acceptance of the satisfaction imposed, followed by absolution by a priest
2. the satisfaction imposed, as the recital of certain prayers
any act of reparation, self-punishment, etc. done in repentance for a sin or wrongdoing

Etymology: ME < OFr peneance < L paenitentia, poenitentia < paenitens: see penitent

transitive verb -·anced, -·anc·ing

Archaic to impose a penance on

penance Idioms

do penance

to do one or more acts of penance

penance Synonyms

Voluntary punishment
mortification, purgation, repentance, retribution, compensation, self-imposed atonement, self-flagellation, fasting, suffering, expiation, paenitentia (Latin), Beichte (German), sackcloth and ashes, hair shirt, inward penance, outward penance, reparation; see also punishment.
A sacrament
repentance, penitence, confession, absolution, sorrow for sin, contrition, remorse, forgiveness for sin; see also repentance, sacrament.

penance Usage Examples

Converse of object

impose: If he is convinced of your penitence, he will absolve you and finish by imposing a penance.
perform: People found guilty of defamation were usually asked to perform a penance.
do: He won't ask you to do penance to prove yourself worthy of His love.
pay: Why aren't the viewers expected to want him to pay penance?
make: His death sparked outrage throughout Europe and culminated in the King making public penance.
undergo: She underwent harsh penances sometimes to keep herself as pure as purity can be.

Adjective modifier

public: There seems to have been a strong tradition in the house against lowering the dignity of the regular life by public penances.
severe: One hour of suffering there will be more bitter than a hundred years of the most severe penance here.
little: I came here specially to let you off the little penance which would otherwise have followed your little offense.
similar: Similar penance was imposed, and at Eyke he certified that he had performed penance / p.
Lenten: They tell us our Lenten penances must be sincere.
self-imposed: Sometimes, as a self-imposed penance, he would stand up to his neck in a lake of cold water, reciting Scripture.

Modifies a noun

performed.: Penance performed. / p p William Glover was noted for the same offense.
service: Monday 18th March at 7.00pm There will be a Penance service in church at which the children will make their first confession.

Possessives

Preposition: in

church: M'Leod started the subject of making women do penance in the church for fornication.

Preposition: for

sin: At last, they found a suitable penance for the ultimate sin.
murder: She brought Heracles while he was serving as a slave as penance for the murder of Iphitus.
slaying: The twelve seemingly impossible tasks are imposed upon him as a penance for slaying his wife and children in a fit of madness.
year: There he did penance for one year, and no one lived with him.

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