See Also: penance(medicine)
penance(dictionary)
penance(dictionary)
PENANCE, eccl(law)

penance (oh)



[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: Medieval Latin poenitentia, from Latin paenitere; PENITENT1]
[C usually singular, U] something that you must do to show that you are sorry for something you have done wrong, especially in some religions
do/perform penance
::We prayed and did penance together.
penance for
::as a penance for his sins
[singular] something that you have to do but do not enjoy doing
::Working in the garden was a kind of penance.