- (n.) A means of repairing a sin committed, and obtaining pardon for it, consisting partly in the performance of expiatory rites, partly in voluntary submission to a punishment corresponding to the transgression. Penance is the fourth of seven sacraments in the Roman Catholic Church.
- (n.) Repentance.
- (n.) Pain; sorrow; suffering.
- (v.t.) To impose penance; to punish.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). penance. Retrieved September 23, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/penance/definitions/2043274 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "penance" http://smartdefine.org/penance/definitions/2043274 (accessed September 23, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, penance, Smart Define, viewed 23 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/penance/definitions/2043274>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "penance" 27 May 2011. Web. 23 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/penance/definitions/2043274> |