Sorrow according to God's will; sorrow on account of sin.
Origin
Early 16th century; earliest use found in The New Testament. After Hellenistic Greek ἡ κατὰ Θεὸν λύπη, lit. ‘the sorrow according to God’ (New Testament: 2 Corinthians 7:10).
Definition of godly sorrow in US English:
godly sorrow
noun
Sorrow according to God's will; sorrow on account of sin.
Origin
Early 16th century; earliest use found in The New Testament. After Hellenistic Greek ἡ κατὰ Θεὸν λύπη, lit. ‘the sorrow according to God’ (New Testament: 2 Corinthians 7:10).