Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

impenitent

/ɪmˈpɛnət(ə)nt/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.48 in modern English

Syllables
im-pen-it-ent
IPA
/ɪmˈpɛnət(ə)nt/
14
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
4
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

One who is not penitent.

Example Sentences

Etymology

The adjective is derived from Late Middle English impenitent (“not penitent, unrepentant”), from Latin impaenitentem, the accusative feminine or masculine singular of impaenitēns (“unrepentant”), from im- (a variant of in- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + paenitēns (“contrite, penitent, regretting, repenting”) (the present active participle of paeniteō (“to be sorry, regret; to cause to repent; to repent”), from Proto-Indo-European *peh₁- (“to hate; to hurt”)). By surface analysis, im- + penitent. The noun is derived from the adjective.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: *peh₁-, impenitent, impaenitentem

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ɪmˈpɛnət(ə)nt/
  • British English: /ɪmˈpɛnɪt(ə)nt/

Inflected Forms

impænitent (alternative, archaic) impœnitent (alternative, archaic) impenitents (plural)

Derived Forms

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Antonyms

Questions

How do you pronounce impenitent?
The recorded pronunciation is /ɪmˈpɛnət(ə)nt/.
What does impenitent mean?
Not penitent; specifically (Christianity), not repenting of one's sins; unrepentant.
Where does impenitent come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce impenitent

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “impenitent”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ɪmˈpɛnət(ə)nt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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  4. Repeat and practice — Say “impenitent” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.