reconcile
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to cause (a person) to accept or be resigned to something not desired.
He was reconciled to his fate.
-
to win over to friendliness; cause to become amicable.
to reconcile hostile persons.
- Synonyms:
- placate, propitiate, pacify
-
to compose or settle (a quarrel, dispute, etc.).
- Antonyms:
- anger
-
to bring into agreement or harmony; make compatible or consistent.
to reconcile differing statements;
to reconcile accounts.
- Synonyms:
- harmonize
-
to reconsecrate (a desecrated church, cemetery, etc.).
-
to restore (an excommunicate or penitent) to communion in a church.
verb (used without object)
verb
-
to make (oneself or another) no longer opposed; cause to acquiesce in something unpleasant
she reconciled herself to poverty
-
to become friendly with (someone) after estrangement or to re-establish friendly relations between (two or more people)
-
to settle (a quarrel or difference)
-
to make (two apparently conflicting things) compatible or consistent with each other
-
to reconsecrate (a desecrated church, etc)
Usage
What does reconcile mean? Reconcile means to make amends, come to a truce, or settle a dispute. Reconcile can also mean to make things compatible or consistent with each other. This sense of the word is especially used when discussing two things that cannot be reconciled, such as two contrasting beliefs. Another sense of the word means to cause to accept a negative situation or become resigned to it, as in I am reconciled to my fate of never being able to afford my dream house. The noun form of reconcile is reconciliation, which refers to the process of reconciling. It’s also the name of a Catholic sacrament involving the confession of sin. Example: After years of not speaking to each other, the two finally sat down and reconciled.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of reconcile
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English reconcilen, from Latin reconciliāre “to make good again, repair,” equivalent to re- re- + conciliāre “to bring together” ( see conciliate)
Explanation
Reach for the verb reconcile to make different things come together or resolve a matter. If you've ever had an argument with someone and then made up, you have reconciled. Reconcile is a verb that can mean "to become resigned" like if you're reconciled to getting the bottom bunk when you wanted the top. It also means to "bring into agreement and harmony." Words like it are pacify, harmonize, and accommodate — reconcile is definitely an agreeable word!
Vocabulary lists containing reconcile
Animal Farm
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Christmas Carol Vocab: A Lyrical Lexicon
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"The Hill We Climb," by Amanda Gorman
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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.
Across the album’s nearly 80 minutes, Mr. Kahan’s struggle to reconcile his modest beginnings with his outsize success eventually wears you out.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026
There is a big tent that we can reconcile, and there’s going to need to be a lot of reconciliation.
From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026
"With this comprehensive picture, we are finally able to reconcile many previously conflicting observations about lead-halide perovskites, resolving a long-standing debate about the source of their superior energy-harvesting efficiency," says Rak.
From Science Daily • Apr. 10, 2026
"So, we need to reconcile the details of these statements and understand exactly what the way forward is."
From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026
How does he reconcile his love with that situation?
From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah
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.
