impenitent
UK[ɪmˈpɛnɪtənt]US[ɪmˈpɛnɪtənt]
adj
not feeling shame or regret about one's actions or attitudes
Morpheme Breakdown
im
penitent
im
not
penitent
feeling regret
Etymology
The word 'impenitent' is formed within english by combining the negative prefix 'im-', a variant of 'in-' used before 'p', with the adjective 'penitent'. 'Penitent' itself descends from the latin verb 'paenitere', meaning 'to repent or cause to be sorry'. The latin root can be traced further back to a hypothesized proto-indo-european root meaning 'to hurt' or 'to cut', conceptually linking physical pain to emotional remorse. Thus, the literal construction 'not repenting' logically evolved into the modern abstract sense of being obstinately unashamed or unremorseful.
Analysis
Structure: im (not) + penitent (feeling regret)
im- (Latin origin, a prefix meaning 'not'); penitent (from Latin 'paenitent-', meaning 'repenting', functioning as the core adjective)
Examples
He remained impenitent about the harsh criticism he had delivered.
The impenitent criminal showed no sign of remorse during the trial.
Her impenitent attitude made reconciliation impossible.