reconciliation

American  

[rek-uhn-sil-ee-ey-shuhn] / ˌrɛk ənˌsɪl iˈeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of coming to an understanding and putting an end to hostility, as when former enemies agree to an amicable truce.

   Thirty years later, the rebel son is seeking reconciliation with his mother and sister.

   Reconciliation between the government and the Indigenous community will take more than pleasant words.

2. the state of being resigned to something undesirable, or the process of achieving this state; acceptance.

   Telling them about her son as he was before the accident gave her a sense of peace and reconciliation with her loss.

3. the act or process of making consistent or compatible.

   There is a tension between justice and mercy, and their reconciliation is not easy or obvious.

4. the act or process of verifying one account or set of figures with another to ensure or test for accuracy.

   Reconciliation of the sum of money received and the number of tickets sold revealed a few reporting errors.

5. U.S. Government. a Congressional procedure under which a simple majority of votes in the Senate is enough to pass legislation relating to the federal budget: used in order to avoid a potential filibuster.

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Reconciliation British  

/ ˌrɛkənˌsɪlɪˈeɪʃən /

noun

1. RC Church a sacrament in which repentant sinners are absolved and gain reconciliation with God and the Church, on condition of confession of their sins to a priest and of performing a penance

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Usage

What does reconciliation mean? Reconciliation is the process of two people or groups in a conflict agreeing to make amends or come to a truce.Reconciliation is also the name of a Catholic sacrament involving the confession of sin. Less commonly, reconciliation refers to when someone accepts an undesirable situation, or to the process of making things compatible.Example: After years of conflict, the two parties have agreed to meet with the goal of reconciliation.

Other Word Forms

• nonreconciliation noun
• prereconciliation noun
• proreconciliation adjective

Etymology

Origin of reconciliation

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English reconsiliacion, from Latin reconciliātiōn-, stem of reconciliātiō “renewal, restoration,” from reconciliāt(us) “restored, reunited” (past participle of reconciliāre “to repair, restore, reunite”; reconcile ) + -iō -ion

Example Sentences

Budget reconciliation is governed by strict rules, enforced by a strict parliamentarian, requiring that reconciliation items pertain to taxes and spending.

From Slate • Mar. 24, 2026

In the trailer, Chani asks Paul, “If we have a girl, what will we name her?” hinting at a possible reconciliation.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

Some customers have yet to recover the full amount of their deposits, according to a reconciliation website Evolve created after the Synapse bankruptcy.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 17, 2026

The pre-emptive, public move by Amodei escalated the spat to Hegseth, after which there was a near-zero chance of reconciliation, an administration official said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

The reconciliation took place gradually, rather than at any sort of intense heart-to-heart meeting.

From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John

Related Words

• accord
• agreement
• compromise
• harmony
• rapprochement
• settlement