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pentito

informant

noun adjective pehn-TEE-toh Less Common

Origin: from 'pentirsi' ('to repent')

Also means

repentant

Usage Note

Pentito literally means 'repentant', but as a noun it is the specific Italian term for a former mobster who turns state's witness, a key word in mafia trials. As an adjective it agrees: pentita, pentiti, pentite. Used adjectivally it just means sorry or regretful.

Examples

"Il pentito ha rivelato i nomi."

Natural Translation

The informant revealed the names.

Literal Translation

The informant has revealed the names.

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