atonement
uh-TONE-munt
/əˈtoʊnmənt/
Reparation for a wrong or injury; the action of making amends.
Carries a heavy moral or spiritual weight; it’s not just about paying money, but about seeking forgiveness and achieving inner peace.
The story behind the word. This is a rare English-invented word. It literally comes from 'at one' + 'ment'. To atone is to be 'at one' again with someone you have hurt or with God.
Word relationships
- expiation: Expiation is a more technical religious term for cleansing oneself of guilt.
- penance: Penance is a specific act performed to show sorrow for a sin.
- defiance: Defiance is a refusal to acknowledge wrongdoing or to show regret.
Commonly confused with
- reparation: Reparation is often external and material; atonement is internal and moral.
Word family
- atone (verb): To make amends.
Collocations
- act of atonement
- seek atonement
- day of atonement
Example sentences
- "The protagonist spent the rest of his life in a state of quiet atonement for the mistake of his youth." Literature
- "Yom Kippur is the Jewish Day of Atonement, a time for fasting and repentance." Theology
Memory hook
AT-ONE-ment: Being 'at one' with yourself after doing something wrong. At one again.
When not to use
Avoid in casual business contexts; it's too intense for fixing a minor clerical error.
Fun facts
- Atonement is one of the few theological terms in English that is not derived from Latin or Greek.
Related words
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