atone
verb
ə-ˈtōn 
atoned; atoning
intransitive verb
: to make amends : to provide or serve as reparation or compensation for something bad or unwelcome —usually + for
He wanted to atone for his sins.But I think that he has within him a capacity for love, and an unselfishness, which almost atones for his dishonesty.
Anthony Trollope
Anthony Trollopetransitive verb
1
: to make reparation or supply satisfaction for : expiate —used in the passive voice with for
a crime that must be atoned for
2
obsolete : reconcile
Did you know?
Atone comes to us from the combination in Middle English of at and on, the latter of which is an old variant of one. Together they meant "in harmony." (In current English, we use "at one" with a similar suggestion of harmony in such phrases as "at one with nature.") When it first entered English, atone meant "to reconcile" and suggested the restoration of a peaceful and harmonious state between people or groups. These days the verb specifically implies addressing the damage (or disharmony) caused by one's own behavior.
Synonyms
- expiate
- mend
- redeem
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Once seated together for the first time since the show premiered, the former suitors kick off the night by addressing the controversies surrounding Hayden and Chris, but will either of them show up to atone for their actions? oregonlive, 29 Aug. 2022 A year after America’s shambolic withdrawal, Washington should do more to atone for its mistakes. Jonathan Schanzer, WSJ, 15 Aug. 2022 Trudeau, a Catholic whose father, Pierre Trudeau, was prime minister while the last residential schools were in operation, insisted that the Catholic Church as an institution bore blame and needed to do more to atone. Nicole Winfield And Rob Gillies, Anchorage Daily News, 28 July 2022 But McIntosh feels no such forgiveness towards the Catholic Church, despite efforts to atone at the highest levels. Hira Humayun, CNN, 25 July 2022 The brilliant anatomist Andreas Vesalius, to atone for crimes against orthodoxy, was forced to go on pilgrimage to Jerusalem and perished on the island of Zakynthos when his ship foundered. John J. Ross, WSJ, 24 July 2022 The ousted priest counts himself among a small community of early whistleblowers who have tried to persuade Catholic clergy to atone for past wrongs and to pull the church into modern times. Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, 19 July 2022 Putting the rotation on his shoulders in the second half would do a lot to atone for that. Peter Abraham, BostonGlobe.com, 8 July 2022 After a childhood act of cowardice, Amir spends most of the play reflecting on and trying to atone for his failure to come to the aid of his best friend. New York Times, 1 July 2022 See More
oregonlive, 29 Aug. 2022 A year after America’s shambolic withdrawal, Washington should do more to atone for its mistakes. Jonathan Schanzer, WSJ, 15 Aug. 2022 Trudeau, a Catholic whose father, Pierre Trudeau, was prime minister while the last residential schools were in operation, insisted that the Catholic Church as an institution bore blame and needed to do more to atone. Nicole Winfield And Rob Gillies, Anchorage Daily News, 28 July 2022 But McIntosh feels no such forgiveness towards the Catholic Church, despite efforts to atone at the highest levels. Hira Humayun, CNN, 25 July 2022 The brilliant anatomist Andreas Vesalius, to atone for crimes against orthodoxy, was forced to go on pilgrimage to Jerusalem and perished on the island of Zakynthos when his ship foundered. John J. Ross, WSJ, 24 July 2022 The ousted priest counts himself among a small community of early whistleblowers who have tried to persuade Catholic clergy to atone for past wrongs and to pull the church into modern times. Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, 19 July 2022 Putting the rotation on his shoulders in the second half would do a lot to atone for that. Peter Abraham, BostonGlobe.com, 8 July 2022 After a childhood act of cowardice, Amir spends most of the play reflecting on and trying to atone for his failure to come to the aid of his best friend. New York Times, 1 July 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English, to become reconciled, from at on in harmony, from at + on one
First Known Use
1574, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2
Kids Definition
atone
verb
ə-ˈtōn
atoned; atoning
: to do something to make up for a wrong
… her grandmother watched over her with untiring devotion, as if trying to atone for some past mistake … Louisa May Alcott, Little Women
Louisa May Alcott, Little Womenatoning
verb
as in confessing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- confessing
- apologizing
- excusing
- whitewashing
- palliating
- justifying
- extenuating
- rationalizing
- deodorizing
- explaining
- minimizing
- mitigating
- alleviating
- varnishing
- sugarcoating
- explaining away
- exonerating
- vindicating
- absolving
- softening
- exculpating
- lessening
- soft-pedaling
- tempering
- acquitting
- lightening
- playing down
- moderating
- easing
- glossing (over)
- glozing (over)
- accounting (for)
- clearing