penitential

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.

Weeks later, during the penitential Yom Kippur prayers in a small Berlin synagogue, Rosenzweig reversed his decision.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

In 2022, Pope Francis made a "penitential pilgrimage" across Canada, where he offered an apology to local tribal leaders.

From BBC • Nov. 15, 2025

It also marks the beginning of the penitential Lenten season.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2024

In songs such as the welcome-to-hell “School Song” and “Bruce,” recounting a penitential cake-eating challenge, the ensemble dances through the hallways and assembly rooms with dizzying élan.

From Washington Post • Dec. 19, 2022

The holy sounds float up the dell To fill my ravished ear, And now the glorious anthems swell,— Of worshippers sincere,— Of hearts bowed in the dust, that shed Faith's penitential tear.

From The Genius of Scotland or Sketches of Scottish Scenery, Literature and Religion by Turnbull, Robert