Use contrition when regret feels serious, humble, and morally meaningful. It is more formal than sorry or regret, and it often appears with verbs such as show, express, feel, or demonstrate.
Use contrition when regret feels serious, humble, and morally meaningful. It is more formal than sorry or regret, and it often appears with verbs such as show, express, feel, or demonstrate.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| Sorry for being late, I feel deep contrition. | Sorry for being late. |
| She showed contrition about choosing the wrong sandwich. | She regretted choosing the wrong sandwich. |
| He made a contrition to his friend. | He expressed contrition to his friend. |
Use contrition in religious or theological contexts for sorrow over sin, especially when repentance includes a desire to change. The phrase act of contrition names a prayer or expression of this repentance.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| Contrition means being afraid of getting caught. | Contrition means sorrow for sin and a desire to amend. |
| The priest asked for a contrition. | The priest asked for an act of contrition. |
| He made an act of contrite. | He made an act of contrition. |
Use the word for serious moral regret, not for small everyday inconvenience. It is formal, and it often carries religious or legal weight when someone must show genuine remorse.
He made a contrition is not idiomatic. Say he expressed contrition or, in a religious setting, he made an act of contrition.
From Middle English contricioun, through Anglo-French from Latin contritio, meaning grief or a wearing down. It comes from conterere, to crush or wear down. The religious sense developed from the image of a hardened heart being crushed into repentance.
What does contrition mean?
It means deep and sincere sorrow for wrongdoing. In religion, it often means repentance for sin.
Is contrition the same as remorse?
They are close. Contrition is a formal kind of remorse that stresses sorrowful regret and often a desire to make amends.
Is contrition a religious word?
It can be. It is common in Christian contexts, but it can also describe sincere remorse in legal, public, or personal situations.
What is an act of contrition?
An act of contrition is a prayer or expression of sorrow for sin, often connected with confession or repentance.
How do you use contrition in a sentence?
A natural sentence is She expressed genuine contrition for what she had done.
What are synonyms of contrition?
Synonyms include remorse, repentance, penitence, regret, guilt, and compunction.
What is the opposite of contrition?
Opposites include impenitence, defiance, shamelessness, and remorselessness.