Recent Examples on the WebPurchase of pardons had traditionally allowed people to bypass the penitential rituals the Church required for remission of sins. Maureen Quilligan, WSJ, 1 Feb. 2022 The choir – split into two groups to accommodate social distancing – offers four works that touch on penitential themes.oregonlive, 22 Mar. 2022 But there’s something penitential about her account, a purging of her regret and guilt about her co-workers (many of whom testify here) but also her stupidity, about business and men. John Anderson, WSJ, 15 Mar. 2022 Today is Ash Wednesday, which for Christians marks the start of the 40-day penitential season of Lent. Editors, USA TODAY, 2 Mar. 2022 The services during Yom Kippur are held continuously through the day and include readings from the Torah and the reciting of penitential prayers.CNN, 2 Sep. 2021 Or could the dust be ash, akin to the penitential mark that some Christians wear on their brows on Ash Wednesday? Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 30 Apr. 2021 March Madness is an essentially penitential affair, a series of physical and spiritual trials interrupted by familiar rhythms, not unlike the experience of a novice in a monastery. Matthew Walther, WSJ, 1 Apr. 2021 There is no Kingdom of God without the penitential turn of the soul to the grace and goodness of God. Daniel J. Mahoney, National Review, 6 Feb. 2020 See More
Word History
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of penitential was before the 12th century