penance
A voluntary self-imposed punishment for a sinful act or wrongdoing. It may be intended to serve as reparation for the act.
Other meanings
A sacrament in some Christian churches that involves penitence (remorse plus restitution via prayer).
Any instrument of self-punishment.
Related words
- penanceless
- unpenanced
Word history
From Latin "paenitentia" (repentance, penitence).
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “penance” on Wiktionary, by its contributors, published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.