Penitent means genuinely sorry for something wrong you've done and wanting to make up for it. A penitent student who copied homework truly regrets the choice and works to rebuild trust, expressing real remorse rather than offering a quick apology to avoid consequences. Someone who is penitent feels real remorse and often tries to repair the damage they caused.

There's a big difference between saying “I'm sorry I got caught” and being truly penitent, which means you wish you hadn't done it at all.

You might read about a penitent thief who returns stolen money, or a penitent friend who hurt someone's feelings and works hard to show they've changed. The noun form is penitent: “The penitent asked for forgiveness and tried to make things right.” The related noun penitence is the state of being penitent.

Being penitent involves both feeling sorry inside and showing it through your actions. It's about taking responsibility and genuinely wanting to do better, not just going through the motions to avoid trouble.