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.
Related Words
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