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

This victory will not fully atone for his infamous meltdown after missing the halfway cut at Oakmont a year ago.

From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026

The party certainly has past sins to atone for: D.C. in fact passed a bill to jump the line in 2004 to draw attention to its lack of voting representation in Congress.

From Slate ● May 26, 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

This is one of Annabelle’s struggles, the sense that she must apologize and atone for other people’s actions.

From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti

He latches onto a careless back-header by Tyler Bindon and takes the ball around Reading keeper Joel Pereira, but Bindon atones by getting back to block on the line.

From BBC ● Mar. 31, 2024

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

From Salon ● Dec. 1, 2020

That feat alone almost atones the franchise’s first seven seasons in D.C., which featured 91 losses on average and five last-place finishes.

From Washington Times ● Oct. 16, 2019

But it’s also here that Sud, in a sort of three-episode epilogue, more than atones for any lingering resentment about how “The Killing” dealt with conclusions.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 22, 2018

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

McIlroy atoned for two bogeys with nine birdies, shooting a seven-under-par 65 to improve on his stellar 67 in the opening round.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 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

“But they ’bout to get a big surprise; justice sleeps but not for long and one day when it wake up, all sins is atoned for.”

From "The Journey of Little Charlie" by Christopher Paul Curtis

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

Faas—who had sent Mr. Út’s photographer brother on an assignment during which he was killed—may have been atoning.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 27, 2025

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