repent
/rɪˈpɛnt/
verb
Origin
Latin
re- + poenitere — back + to cause to feel regret
Overview
Meaning Now
- To feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one's wrongdoing or sin.
- To change one's mind or course of action as a result of regret.
Literal older meaning
to creep back (into a state of mind)
Language path
Latin → Old French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
repenten
Earliest period
late 13th century
Journey
The term carries strong theological connotations, particularly in Christian contexts where 'repentance' (metanoia in Greek) implies a fundamental turning away from sin toward God, rather than mere sorrow.
Evolution
- Latin
poenitere
“to cause to feel regret”
Impersonal verb
- Vulgar Latin
repounitire
“to feel intense regret”
Addition of intensifier prefix re-
- Old French
repentir
“to repent”
- Middle English
repenten
“to feel contrition”
Connections
Word parts
re-
prefix
again or back
pent
root
to feel pain or remorse
Related across languages
French
repentir
to repent
Spanish
arrepentirse
to repent
Italian
ripentirsi
to repent
Related words
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.