What does unrepentance mean?
Unrepentance is a formal and relatively rare noun denoting the absence or refusal of repentance, especially a failure to feel remorse for wrongdoing. Where repentance describes regret or sorrow over an offense and a wish to turn away from it, unrepentance names the opposite condition. It can suggest stubbornness, moral callousness, or defiance, although it does not by itself establish that someone has committed an offense; it more precisely identifies the absence of the inward response commonly associated with wrongdoing. The word is especially familiar in religious, theological, and moral discussion, where continued behavior after remorse has been rejected may be described as unrepentance. Because the term sounds elevated and uncommon in everyday speech, writers often use unrepentant to describe a person or unrepentantly to modify an action. The word is especially useful when the subject is not merely someone who has not yet repented, but someone understood as refusing repentance.
nounThe absence or refusal of repentance; a failure to feel remorse for wrongdoing.
- The absence or refusal of repentance, especially persistence in wrongdoing without remorse.
"The minister spoke with sorrow not at the crime itself, but at the unrepentance of those who had committed it."
"His unrepentance made the possibility of forgiveness seem remote."
"The novel treats unrepentance as a more destructive condition than either punishment or regret."
The plural is rarely needed and rarely used.
"The novel contrasts genuine remorse with repeated unrepentances."
Unrepentance names more than a lack of apology: it describes a refusal to turn inward after wrongdoing.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does unrepentance come from?
Unrepentance is an English formation created by adding the negative prefix un- to repentance. Repentance came through Old French from Latin repentare, meaning “to regret,” while penitent and penitence belong to a related Latin family concerning regret or sorrow for wrongdoing. The prefixed form therefore expresses the condition of being without repentance.
Related word forms
How unrepentance is actually used
Relatively rare, formal, and literary. It is especially associated with moral, religious, and theological contexts and may suggest stubbornness, moral callousness, or defiance.
Easily confused with unrepentance
Unrepentance is the noun naming the condition of not repenting, while unrepentant is the adjective describing a person or act that is not repenting.