atonement

American  

[uh-tohn-muhnt] / əˈtoʊn mənt /

noun

1. satisfaction or reparation for a wrong or injury; amends.

2. (sometimes initial capital letter) the doctrine concerning the reconciliation of God and humankind, especially as accomplished through the life, suffering, and death of Christ.

3. Christian Science. the experience of humankind's unity with God exemplified by Jesus Christ.

4. Archaic. reconciliation; agreement.

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atonement British  

/ əˈtəʊnmənt /

noun

1. satisfaction, reparation, or expiation given for an injury or wrong

2. (often capital) Christian theol

   1. the reconciliation of man with God through the life, sufferings, and sacrificial death of Christ

   2. the sufferings and death of Christ

3. Christian Science the state in which the attributes of God are exemplified in man

4. obsolete reconciliation or agreement

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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.”

Example Sentences

Mr. Nesbø specializes in the psychological turf between good and evil, success and failure, violence and atonement.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025

For all his personal failings, Bill Clinton has always clung to the promise of forgiveness and the process of atonement.

From Salon • Oct. 9, 2025

It does not cost anything, just a public act of atonement for past sins.

From BBC • Oct. 24, 2024

He was promised an opportunity at atonement with a scheduled start in Game 4.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2024

“It is an eternal atonement, to watch over the children of the sun, the children of my people, the Azteca bloodline.”

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall

Related Words

• penance
• redemption
• reparation