• IPA: /ˈpɛn.əns/

penance

1. A voluntary self-imposed punishment for a sinful act or wrongdoing. It may be intended to serve as reparation for the act.

   • Quoth he, "The man hath penance done, / And penance more will do."

2. A sacrament in some Christian churches.
3. Any instrument of self-punishment.
4. (obsolete) repentance
5. (obsolete) pain; sorrow; suffering

   • Joy or penance he feeleth none.

• penitence
• atonement

• French: pénitence
• German: Buße, Bußleistung, Bußübung, Bußwerk, Bußverfahren, Sühnung, Selbstkasteiung, Pönitenz
• Italian: penitenza
• Portuguese: penitência
• Russian: искупле́ние
• Spanish: penitencia

• French: pénitence
• German: Bußsakrament
• Italian: penitenza
• Portuguese: penitência
• Spanish: penitencia

penance (penances, present participle penancing; past and past participle penanced)

1. To impose penance; to punish.
   • 1819, John Keats, “Lamia”, in Lamia, Isabella, the Eve of St. Agnes, and Other Poems, London: Printed [by Thomas Davison] for Taylor and Hessey, […], published 1820, OCLC 927360557 ↗, part I, page 6 ↗:

     She seem'd, at once, some penanced lady elf, / Some demon mistress, or the demon's self.