atonement
Americannoun
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satisfaction or reparation for a wrong or injury; amends.
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(sometimes initial capital letter) the doctrine concerning the reconciliation of God and humankind, especially as accomplished through the life, suffering, and death of Christ.
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Christian Science. the experience of humankind's unity with God exemplified by Jesus Christ.
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Archaic. reconciliation; agreement.
noun
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satisfaction, reparation, or expiation given for an injury or wrong
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(often capital) Christian theol
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the reconciliation of man with God through the life, sufferings, and sacrificial death of Christ
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the sufferings and death of Christ
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Christian Science the state in which the attributes of God are exemplified in man
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obsolete reconciliation or agreement
Etymology
Origin of atonement
First recorded in 1505–15; from phrase at one, at oon “in harmony” + -ment, as translation of Medieval Latin adūnāmentum; compare Middle English onement “unity”
Explanation
When you apologize for doing something wrong, that’s an act of atonement. Many religions have rituals of atonement, such as Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, on which people of the Jewish faith repent for their sins. As a religious act, atonement is an effort to make up for wrongdoings so you can be in harmony with a higher power. Look closely at the word: you can break it down to "at," "one," and "ment." Atonement first appears in English in the 1510s, when it meant "the condition of being at one (with others)." About ten years later, the word shows up with a meaning that included “being at one with God.”
Vocabulary lists containing atonement
World Religions
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Siddhartha
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The Awakening
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“I understand that meaningful atonement is not achieved through an exhibition, institutional recognition or a single public gesture,” Galliano said in a statement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
For Platner, this is almost certainly a life of reflection and atonement outside the political arena.
From Slate ● Jul. 10, 2026
In all fairness, we don’t know what level of atonement Pitt has made over the years.
From Salon ● Jun. 30, 2025
Julius, meanwhile, becomes a card-cheat spotter for a casino as an act of atonement for his thieving ways — it’s easy to buy Elordi’s take on ’50s rogue sensitivity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 25, 2025
Perhaps the reason Yakov had possessed me was because he had been chasing after the same atonement I had yearned for all along.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
