Impaenitens

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Persistently unrepentant or lacking remorse for one's actions
2. Demonstrating a refusal to express regret or sorrow for past behavior
3. Characterized by a steadfast unwillingness to acknowledge wrongdoing or change one's ways

Etymology: Latin "paenitere" meant "to be sorry" or "to regret," and "impaenitens" added the negative prefix "in-" to its present participle, describing someone who showed no regret. English "impenitent" comes from this Latin adjective and has been in use since late Middle English. It belongs to a family that includes "penitent," "penance," and "repent," all of which reach English through Old French from the Latin noun "paenitentia," meaning repentance. The Latin word "poena," meaning punishment, looks almost identical and is often mistaken for the same root. It is a separate word, borrowed from Greek "poinē," and it gave English "penal" and, through Old French, "pain." The two Latin words only resemble each other by coincidence, so "impenitent" shares its history with "penance," not with "penalty."