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Dictionary Entry

contrition

Part of SpeechnounPronunciation/kənˈtɹɪʃən/Word FrequencyUncommon (3.85)Curriculum FrequencyLess common (1)

The state of being contrite; sincere penitence or remorse.

In a Sentence

“The king expressed deep contrition for his past actions and sought to make amends.”

Published Usage Examples

“'By that account,' said Lady Anne, 'which I believe to be just, her contrition is always ten times as great as her offence.'”

“BTW, "contrition" is precisely what rankles for most of the naysayers.”

Year 12 Word List

This entry also appears in ReadingWillow Year 12 word lists, so students can move between the dictionary and year-level study sets.

Origin

Latin, from 'conterere' meaning 'to rub together, bruise, crush'.

Common Phrases

. contritioncontrition truecontrition deepcontrition perfect

Synonyms

attritioncontriteness

Antonyms

impenitence

Related Words

repentanceremorseapologyregretconcessiongrant

Poetry examples for “contrition”

Excerpts from the ReadingWillow English Library collection.

Poetry examples are still being gathered for this entry. They will appear here once matching poems are available in the library.