Home › Words › P › penitencerpenitencerpenitencer · noun — A priest who heard confession and enjoined penance in extraordinary cases.Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).EtymologyFrench pénitencier.nounA priest who heard confession and enjoined penance in extraordinary cases.e.g.“I say not that if thou be assigned to thy penitencer for certain sin, that thou art bound to shew him all the remnant of thy sins...” — 1875, Clarke, Charles Cowden, The Canterbury tales of Chaucer, with notes by T. Tyrwhitt, Cassell Petter & Galpin, page 288:Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).Words closest in meaningBy meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.confessarius 67% match — A person appointed to hear confessions. vs penitencer →penitential 66% match — Pertaining to penance or penitence. vs penitencer →confessant 64% match — One who confesses to a priest. vs penitencer →shriftfather 61% match — A confessor; a priest who hears confessions. vs penitencer →prester 61% match — A priest or presbyter. vs penitencer →pardoner 60% match — One who pardons. vs penitencer →penitentially 59% match — In a penitential manner. vs penitencer →confessary 59% match — One who makes a confession. vs penitencer →