🇩🇪German Source WordCode: DE

Buße

Pronunciation / Transliteration: /ˈbuːsə/

🇬🇧 Direct English Meaning:
Penitence/ˈpɛnɪtəns/
nounCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #15000 frequency
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🇩🇪 Example Sentence in German:

"Sie tat Buße für ihre vergangenen Fehler."

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    The action of feeling or showing sorrow and regret for having done wrong; repentance.

    "He showed deep penitence for his past mistakes through years of dedicated community service."
  2. 2

    A religious act or state of being penitent.

    "The pilgrimage was undertaken as a profound act of spiritual penitence."

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Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

The word 'penitence' originates from the Latin 'paenitentia', meaning 'repentance' or 'sorrow for sin'. It evolved through Old French 'penitence' before entering Middle English, reflecting a historical shift from a general sense of regret to a more specific religious connotation of remorse for wrongdoing.

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