penance
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Islamic fasting is oriented toward submission to divine will, while Christian penance is animated by gratitude for the incarnate God who suffered, died and rose again for the salvation of humanity.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026
A cold-weather salad wants heat at its core, something warm enough to soften the greens and make the whole bowl feel like actual food rather than penance.
From Salon • Dec. 16, 2025
Williams’ Anna absorbs his fury as though it were the penance she herself would mete out for her sins.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 15, 2025
Well, they only do in one respect, and that seems to be Röhl’s main fixation: They’re all associated with attempts to work through and do penance for Nazi Germany’s crimes.
From Slate • Jan. 5, 2025
“Carlisle swam to France, and continued on through Europe, to the universities there. By night he studied music, science, medicine — and found his calling, his penance, in that, in saving human lives.”
From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
Vocabulary lists containing penance
Fahrenheit 451
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The Poet X
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The Joy Luck Club
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