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

Watching “The Ballad of Emmett Till,” though, comes across less as an exercise in powerful theater than as a penitential act.

From Washington Post • Oct. 14, 2022

Some staggered under penitential weights of lead and stone, and others bore loads of bars and fetters in token of captivity from which St. James had set them free.

From Spanish Highways and Byways by Bates, Katharine Lee