Repentance
Etymology
From Latin “paenitere” (to cause or feel regret), via Old French “repentir,” with “re-” as an intensifier. The key biblical Greek term, “metanoia,” literally meant “a change of mind,” framing repentance as reorientation rather than mere remorse. English blends both: the sorrow of regret and the pivot toward change.
noun · /rih-PEN-tunss/
Sincere regret for wrongdoing joined to a resolve to change.
What it names
The turning point between recognizing a fault and actually reforming — more than feeling sorry.
Example
True repentance, the counselor said, shows up less in tears than in the next hundred small decisions.
Related idea
Contrition is the acute sorrow of regret itself; repentance adds the turn — the intention to act differently going forward.
See also