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Penitent vs Forgiving - What's the difference?

penitent | forgiving |

As adjectives the difference between penitent and forgiving

is that penitent is feeling pain or sorrow on account of sins or offenses; repentant; contrite; sincerely affected by a sense of guilt, and resolved on amendment of life while forgiving is inclined to forgive.

As nouns the difference between penitent and forgiving

is that penitent is one who repents of sin; one sorrowful on account of his or her transgressions while forgiving is an act of forgiveness.

As a verb forgiving is

present participle of lang=en.

penitent

English

Alternative forms

* (archaic) * (qualifier)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Feeling pain or sorrow on account of sins or offenses; repentant; contrite; sincerely affected by a sense of guilt, and resolved on amendment of life.
  • * 1838 , , (The Anatomy of Melancholy) , B. Blake, p.730,
    • If thou be penitent and grieved, or desirous to be so, these heinous sins shall not be laid to thy charge.
  • * Milton
    • Be penitent , and for thy fault contrite.
  • Doing penance.
    • (Shakespeare)

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • One who repents of sin; one sorrowful on account of his or her transgressions.
  • One under church censure, but admitted to penance; one undergoing penance.
  • * 1837 , William Russell, The History of Modern Europe: with an Account of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire , Longman, Rees, & Co., page 20,
    • Wamba, who defeated the Saracens in an attempt upon Spain, was deprived of the crown, because he had been clothed in the habit of a penitent , while labouring under the influence of poison, administered by the ambitious Erviga!
  • One under the direction of a confessor.

    • Synonyms

    * penaunt

    Related terms

    * pen * penance * penitence * penitentiary * repent * repentance * repentant

    External links

    * * *

    forgiving

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Inclined to forgive.
    • I am not very forgiving .

    Verb

    (head)

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • An act of forgiveness.
  • * 1996 , Bernard P. Dauenhauer, Citizenship in a Fragile World (page 58)
    • And I receive your forgiveness only from you. A group's promises and forgivings are nothing more than the sum of its individual members' promises and forgivings.