PEN'ANCE, noun 1. The suffering, labor or pain to which a person voluntarily subjects himself, or which is imposed on him by authority as a punishment for his faults, or as an expression of penitence; such as fasting, flagellation, wearing chains, etc. penance is one of the seven sacraments of the Romish church. 2. Repentance.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI