contrition

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.

When Paul pressed him again about his lack of apology, lack of contrition, and inability to even say he “misspoke,” while ribbing him about his “low impulse control” and presentation of “machismo,” Mullin didn’t waver.

From Slate • Mar. 18, 2026

By expressing contrition over her long history of trolling, which is how she rose to fame in the first place, Greene has been catching big headlines.

From Salon • Jan. 2, 2026

"Far from distancing himself from his earlier extremist views, he confirms that he still holds them. Far from showing contrition, he is presenting himself as the victim of a conspiracy," he added.

From BBC • Dec. 30, 2025

And the old political playbook — confession, contrition, capitulation — is obviously no longer operative, as candidates find it not only possible but even advantageous to brazen their way through storms of uproar and opprobrium.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 30, 2025

My mother can easily speak to a priest in a darkened confessional; can easily make an act of self-revelation using the impersonal formula of ritual contrition: ‘Bless me, Father, for I have sinned....’

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez