Contrition

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /kənˈtɹɪʃən/

Definitions

1. A feeling of sincere remorse and regret for having done something morally wrong or harmful
2. A deep sense of remorse and genuine repentance for one's wrongdoings or moral failings
3. Sincere regret and sorrow arising from acknowledgment of guilt or wrongful conduct

Etymology: "Contrition" comes from the Latin verb "conterere," meaning "to grind to pieces" or "to bruise thoroughly," built from "com-" (together, intensive) and "terere" (to rub or wear down). Its noun form, "contritio," therefore carried a physical sense of crushing or pulverizing something, and the picture of a thing ground down into powder lies behind the word's later spiritual meaning. The word passed into English through Old French "contriciun," the ancestor of modern French "contrition." Its move from the bruised object to the bruised conscience happened in Christian Latin, where writers used it for the inner crushing of heart that a sinner feels on recognizing wrongdoing. Medieval theology drew a sharp line between this inward sorrow and mere outward regret, and the metaphor of a heart broken to pieces made the word a central term in discussions of repentance. Modern English keeps the sense of genuine remorse, though the physical image of grinding has faded almost entirely from view.

Synonyms: remorse, regret, penitence, repentance, sorrow

Antonyms: indifference, insincerity, apathy, happiness, joy