# metanoia

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˌmɛtəˈnɔɪə/

## Definitions
1. A fundamental change of mind.
2. A spiritual or religious conversion.
3. A fundamental change in the human personality.
4. A device used to retract a statement just made, and then state it in a better way.

## Etymology
From Ancient Greek μετάνοια (metánoia, “repentance”, literally “afterthought”), a compound of μετά (metá, “after, with”) and νοέω (noéō, “to perceive, to think”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/metanoia