LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

paenitentia

paenitentia f (genitive paenitentiae)
Classical[pae̯.nɪˈtɛn.ti.a]Ecclesiastical[pe.niˈtɛn.t͡si.a]

Meaning

  1. femininerepentance, penitence, regret
  2. EcclesiasticalLatinfemininepenance

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

dolor dē factīs suīs
paenitentia -ae (f) — in Epistulae, ch. 21

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativepaenitentiapaenitentiae
poenitentiae
genitivepaenitentiae
poenitentiae		paenitentiārum
poenitentiārum
dativepaenitentiae
poenitentiae		paenitentiīs
poenitentiīs
accusativepaenitentiam
poenitentiam		paenitentiās
poenitentiās
ablativepaenitentiāpaenitentiīs
poenitentiīs
vocativepaenitentiapaenitentiae
poenitentiae

paenĭtentĭa, ae, f. paeniteo,
I. repentance, penitence (not in Cic.; cf. Aus. Ep. 12, 10).—Absol.: celerem paenitentiam sequi, Liv. 31, 32: nec poenā commilitonum exterriti, nec paenitentiā conversi, Tac. A. 1, 45: fidelissimus est ad honesta ex paenitentiā transitus, Sen. Q. N. 3, praef. 3.—Plur.: serae dant poenas turpes paenitentiae, Phaedr. 1, 13, 2.—With gen.: coepti, Quint. 12, 5, 3: dicti, id. 9, 2, 60: gestae rei, Plin. 17, 12, 19, § 94; 10, 23, 33, § 67: paenitentiam agere, to repent: eo usque processum est, ut non paeniturum pro non acturo paenitentiam dixerit (Sallustius), Quint. 9, 3, 12: ejus (facinoris), Curt. 8, 6, 23; Plin. Ep. 7, 10, 3; Sen. Suas. 6, 11; 7, 10; Vulg. Matt. 3, 2 al.

Origins

From paenitēns (“repenting”), present active participle of paeniteō (“regret, repent”). In the Vulgate, used as a calque of Ancient Greek μετάνοια (metánoia, “repentance”), and found in the phrase paenitentiam ago (“do penance”) as a calque of μετανοέω (metanoéō, “repent”).

Descendants
  • Catalanpenitència
  • Englishpenancefrom Old French penitence
  • Englishpenitencefrom Old French penitence
  • Frenchpénitencefrom Old French penitence
  • GermanPönitenz
  • Italianpenitenza
  • Portuguesependençafrom Old Galician-Portuguese pẽedença
  • Portuguesepenitênciafrom Old Galician-Portuguese pẽedença
  • Portuguesepenitenciafrom Old Galician-Portuguese pẽedença
  • Romanianpenitență

In English words that came into English from paenitentia

  • penancepaenitentia
  • penitentiarypēnitentiārius
  • penitencepaenitentia
  • penitentialpaenitentiālis

Quick answers

What does paenitentia mean in Latin?
paenitentia, a noun, means “repentance, penitence, regret; penance”.
What is the genitive of paenitentia?
The genitive singular is paenitentiae. paenitentia is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce paenitentia?
In classical Latin, [pae̯.nɪˈtɛn.ti.a]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [pe.niˈtɛn.t͡si.a].
Which English words come from paenitentia?
English words that go back to Latin paenitentia include penance, penitence, penitentiary and penitential.