reparation

American  

[rep-uh-rey-shuhn] / ˌrɛp əˈreɪ ʃən /

noun

1. 1. the making of amends for wrong or injury done.

      In reparation for the injustice, the king made him head of the agricultural department.

   2. something done or given to make amends.

      The prosecutor has requested a reparation of $32 million to victims of the crime.

   Synonyms:

   compensation, satisfaction, atonement, indemnification

2. Usually reparations

   1. compensation in money, material, labor, etc., payable by a defeated country to another country or to an individual for loss suffered during or as a result of war.

      The U.S. government eventually disbursed reparations to Japanese Americans who had been interned during World War II.

   2. monetary or other compensation payable by a country to an individual for a historical wrong.

      The article is about reparations to Black people for the enslavement of their ancestors.

3. restoration to good condition.

   Synonyms:

   repair, renovate, renewal

   Antonyms:

   destruction

4. repair.

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reparation British  

/ rɪˈpærətɪv, ˌrɛpəˈreɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of making amends

   an injury admitting of no reparation

2. (usually plural) compensation exacted as an indemnity from a defeated nation by the victors: esp the compensation demanded of Germany by the Treaty of Versailles after World War I

3. the act or process of repairing or state of having been repaired

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reparation Cultural  

1. Compensation demanded by a victorious nation from a defeated nation. Reparations can be in the form of goods or money.

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Related Words

See redress.

Discover More

After World War I, heavy reparation debts were imposed on Germany by Britain, France, and the other victorious nations. Resentment over these reparations aided the rise of Adolf Hitler.

Other Word Forms

• nonreparation
  noun
• reparative
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of reparation

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English reparacion, from Middle French, from Late Latin reparātiōn- (stem of reparātiō ), equivalent to Latin reparāt(us) (past participle of reparāre “to repair” ( see repair ¹, -ate ¹) + -iōn- noun suffix ( see -ion)

Explanation

If you guessed that reparation is related to the word repair, you were right. Both come from the Latin word meaning "to restore." While reparation has a range of meanings, they all convey the sense of fixing or making up for a past wrong. In contemporary usage, the plural form is more common than the singular. Victims of a crime, for example, may receive reparations from the perpetrators. A defeated nation may be forced to pay reparations to its victorious enemies. Many have suggested that the United States government should provide reparations to the descendants of slaves. The word almost always has legal or political connotations, and it conveys the sense of restitution — often expressed in money — for wrongdoing.

Example Sentences

“The arduous reparation from the ravages of the pandemic are all but complete, with the shares now having exceeded the record highs achieved in 2018,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

Energy companies warned the reparation work might take several days.

From Barron's • Dec. 28, 2025

Comprehensive reparation legislation isn’t a novel idea and has been enacted before, Alexander said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 14, 2025

My German passport is a reparation of sorts, allowing me to live my life here because he couldn’t.

From Slate • Apr. 8, 2025

Atelier de reparation, thinks Werner, a chamber in which to make reparations.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

Related Words

• apology
• atonement
• indemnity
• payment
• redress
• remuneration
• renewal
• repayment
• restitution