Late 16th century; earliest use found in Thomas Norton (d. 1584), lawyer and writer. From Middle French resipiscence (French résipiscence) action or fact of coming to one's senses or of returning to a more acceptable opinion, repentance for misconduct or its etymon post-classical Latin resipiscentia repentance from classical Latin resipīscent-, resipīscēns, present participle of resipīscere to regain consciousness, to become sane again, to recover one's reason, to come to one's senses again, to see reason + -ia; compare -ence. Compare Spanish resipiscencia, Italian resipiscenza.