atone

American  

[uh-tohn] / əˈtoʊn /

verb (used without object)

• atones,
  present (3rd person singular)
• atoned,
  past participle,  past
• atoning
  present participle

1. to make amends or reparation, as for an offense or a crime, or for an offender (usually followed byfor ).

   to atone for one's sins.

2. to make up, as for errors or deficiencies (usually followed byfor ).

   to atone for one's failings.

3. Obsolete. to become reconciled; agree.

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verb (used with object)

• atones,
  present (3rd person singular)
• atoned,
  past participle,  past
• atoning
  present participle

1. to make amends for; expiate.

   He atoned his sins.

2. Obsolete. to bring into unity, harmony, concord, etc.

atone British  

/ əˈtəʊn /

verb

1. to make amends or reparation (for a crime, sin, etc)

2. (tr) to expiate

   to atone a guilt with repentance

3. obsolete to be in or bring into agreement

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• atoner
  noun
• atonable
  adjective
• atoneable
  adjective
• unatoned
  adjective
• unatoning
  adjective
• atoningly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• atoning
  present
• atoned
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• atone
  simple
• atones
  simple
• have atoned
  perfect
• has atoned
  perfect
• am atoning
  progressive
• are atoning
  progressive
• is atoning
  progressive
• have been atoning
  perfect progressive
• has been atoning
  perfect progressive

Past

• atoned
  simple
• had atoned
  perfect
• was atoning
  progressive
• were atoning
  progressive
• had been atoning
  perfect progressive

Future

• will atone
  simple
• will have atoned
  perfect
• will be atoning
  progressive
• will have been atoning
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of atone

First recorded in 1545–55; back formation from atonement

Explanation

To atone is to do something "right" to make up for doing something wrong. Religious believers are known to atone for their sins, but even students can atone for a past failure by acing a quiz or two. The word atone came to English as a contraction of the words at and one. The verb means to make amends or reparations for an offense or wrong doing. You can remember the meaning by thinking of it as a sort of Zen concept, to be "at one" or in harmony with someone, you have to atone for your mistakes and be forgiven. In a religious sense, it means to repent for sins ("to atone for his sins").

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

atone atones atoned atoning

Especially knowing full well that all that interrogation could ever reveal was a bottomless shame that nobody—and certainly not themselves—could atone for?

From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026

Having beaten Australia and Japan in their first two games, Ireland will leave Auckland empty-handed after their fourth successive loss to New Zealand and must wait until November to atone for a sloppy first-half performance.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

AFP journalists saw devotees deliberately puncturing their skin with glass shards attached to a small wooden paddle to ensure their bleeding during the ritual, a way to atone for sins and seek miracles from God.

From Barron's ● Apr. 3, 2026

“I write to atone by telling the full truth so that the United States can protect itself from the dangers I witnessed for so many years,” Carvajal wrote.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 25, 2026

Her grandfather often called her ‘Beth’, and her grandmother watched over her with untiring devotion, as if trying to atone for some past mistake, which no eye but her own could see.

From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott

It's a pattern of really bad behavior for which she never really atones.

From Salon ● Dec. 1, 2020

Pak atones for a three-putt bogey on the 18th hole in regulation that set up the playoff.

From Washington Times ● Jun. 4, 2020

It is for $400, an amount that seems commensurate with the offense for which it atones.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 7, 2019

He atones for the error by heading away the corner.

From The Guardian ● Nov. 21, 2017

It was among lean-to’s and adaptations—past ogham atones commemorating some long-dead Deag the son of No, built into a later bastion upside down.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

She danced and sinned and regretted and atoned, and then contradicted herself by doing it all over again.

From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026

“That is wrong and that is something that needs to be redeemed and addressed and atoned for,” he added.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026

Van Dijk atoned for his previous error to begin the Liverpool fightback when he headed in Szoboszlai's corner.

From Barron's ● Jan. 24, 2026

However, the world number 14 atoned for that bogey by knocking in a 20-foot putt from the edge of the 17th green for a birdie.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2025

“Would Mr. Darcy then consider the rashness of your original intention as atoned for by your obstinacy in adhering to it?”

From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen

The original idea was to fund the Sagrada Família through donations by people atoning for their sins.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026

We should say their names, tell their stories, and honor their legacies by atoning for the harms caused and ensuring that nothing like this ever happens again.

From Slate ● Mar. 30, 2026

Clinton Kelly and Stacy London return as its hosts, older, wiser and atoning for the tough love and scathing real talk they once doled out to style-challenged guests.

From Salon ● Jan. 17, 2026

Roos went some way to atoning for his early error as he stood tall to twice deny Cyriel Dessers, with the second stop an excellent reaction save with his right boot.

From BBC ● Feb. 6, 2024

As always, too, his thoughts turned quickly to find some way of atoning.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

Related Words

• apologize
• redeem