Contritely

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a way that demonstrates genuine sorrow or regret, an individual seeks to express remorse for their misdeeds
2. Demonstrating heartfelt penitence, a person conveys a sincere acknowledgment of their guilt and desire for absolution
3. Expressing deep remorse or repentance, an individual shows a sincere intent to atone for wrong actions or feelings of guilt

Etymology: Contritely is contrite with the suffix -ly, and the suffix has a long pedigree of its own. It descends from a Proto-Germanic word meaning "body" or "form," which gave Old English the ending -līce, used to turn adjectives into adverbs describing the manner of an action. So the adverb simply means "in a contrite manner," with the -ly doing the same job it does in "slowly" or "bravely." The root, contrite, came into English from Old French "contrit," which itself came from Latin "contritus," the past participle of "conterere," "to grind or rub to pieces." The literal sense of crushing or pounding survives in the metaphor: a contrite person is someone whose spirit has been broken by guilt. That image of being ground down is what makes the feeling of remorse feel so heavy.

Synonyms: remorsefully, repentantly, apologetically

Antonyms: unrepentantly