Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Penitential \Pen`i*ten"tial\, a. [Cf. F. p['e]nitentiel.]
Of or pertaining to penitence, or to penance; expressing
penitence; of the nature of penance; as, the penitential
book; penitential tears. ``Penitential stripes.''
--Cowper.
Guilt that all the penitential fires of hereafter can
not cleanse.
--Sir W.
Scott.
Penitential \Pen`i*ten"tial\, n. (R. C. Ch.) A book formerly used by priests hearing confessions, containing rules for the imposition of penances; -- called also penitential book.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
c.1500, from Medieval Latin penitentialis, from Latin paenitentia "repentance" (see penitence).
Wiktionary
a. Pertaining to penance or penitence alt. Pertaining to penance or penitence n. a book or set of rules pertaining to the Christian sacrament of penance
WordNet
adj. of or relating to penitence or penance; "the Day of Atonement is the great penitential day of the Hebrew calendar"
showing or constituting penance; "penitential tears"; "wrote a penitential letter apologizing for her hasty words"
Wikipedia
A penitential is a book or set of church rules concerning the Christian sacrament of penance, a "new manner of reconciliation with God" that was first developed by Celtic monks in Ireland in the sixth century AD. It consisted of a list of sins and the appropriate penances prescribed for them, and served as a type of manual for confessors.
Usage examples of "penitential".
States, cordially concurring with the Congress of the United States, in the penitential and pious sentiments expressed in the aforesaid resolutions, and heartily approving of the devotional design and purpose thereof, do hereby appoint the first Thursday of August next to be observed by the people of the United States as a day of national humiliation and prayer.
States, cordially concurring with the Congress of the United States, in the penitential and pious sentiments expressed in the aforesaid resolutions, and heartily approving of the devotional design and purpose thereof, do hereby appoint the first Thursday of August next to be observed by the people of the United States as a day of national humiliation and prayer.
This was unjust, but there is no doubt he made use of every illustration to disgust or encourage his son that his neighbourhood afforded him, and did not spare his brother, for whom Richard entertained a contempt in proportion to his admiration of his father, and was for flying into penitential extremes which Sir Austin had to soften.
Thereupon lo, the King descended from his throne, and stripped to the loins, flinging away his glittering crown and his robes, and abased himself to the dust with loud cries and importunities and howls, and penitential ejaculations and sobbings.
We, with our penitential pilgrimages to Buchenwald, refused to write advertising copy for Coca-Cola because we were antifascists.
Matthew had overtaken, surely, a Ciaran grown weary of his penitential austerities, now there was no one by to see.
Mor pher threw Clytie at the head of Mliss when she -139- was "bad," and set her up before the child for adoration in her penitential moments.
He bespoke for himself a pallet in the common hall, on the plea that his journey was penitential, and he was not deserving of entering among the choir monks until it was fully accomplished, which was as near to the truth as he cared to come.
Besides being possessed by my sister’s idea that a mortifying and penitential character ought to be imparted to my diet – besides giving me as much crumb as possible in combination with as little butter, and putting such a quantity of warm water into my milk that it would have been more candid to have left the milk out altogether – his conversation consisted of nothing but arithmetic.
He noticed that he had been copying Davids prayer for pardon, the fourth penitential psalm, Miserere mei, Deus&for I know my iniquity, and my sin is always before me.
When Stefan Batory vainly besieged the city fifty years later, Kaspar Jeschke, abbot of the Oliva Monastery, put the blame on the sinful woman in his penitential sermons.