Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To make amends, as for a sin or fault.
- intransitive verb Archaic To agree.
- intransitive verb To expiate.
- intransitive verb Archaic To conciliate; appease.
- intransitive verb Obsolete To reconcile or harmonize.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To be at one; agree; be in accordance; accord.
- To make reparation, amends, or satisfaction, as for an offense or a crime, or for an offender: with for.
- To make up, as for errors or deficiencies; be a set-off or palliative.
- To bring into concord; reconcile, as parties at variance.
- To put in accordance; harmonize.
- To unite in forming.
- To conciliate; appease.
- To expiate; answer or make satisfaction for.
- At one; reconciled.
- Together; at once.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- In concord or friendship; in agreement (with each other). e., to be or bring in or to a state of agreement or reconciliation.
- Of the same opinion; agreed.
- obsolete Together.
- intransitive verb obsolete To agree; to be in accordance; to accord.
- intransitive verb To stand as an equivalent; to make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offense or a crime.
- transitive verb obsolete To set at one; to reduce to concord; to reconcile, as parties at variance; to appease.
- transitive verb Obs. & R. To unite in making.
- transitive verb To make satisfaction for; to expiate.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb To make
reparation ,compensation , oramends , for an offence or a crime or a sin one has committed. - verb proscribed To
clear (someone else) ofwrongdoing , especially by standing as anequivalent .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb turn away from sin or do penitence
- verb make amends for
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word atone.
Examples
-
IV. vi.72 (412,4) can no more atone] To _atone_, in the active sense, is to _reconcile_, and is so used by our authour.
Notes to Shakespeare, Volume III: The Tragedies Samuel Johnson 1746
-
Hate the sinners who won't atone translates to hate the liberals who won't agree.
-
Trying to atone from a broken heart last year at Winged Foot and a left wrist injury he blamed on Oakmont's rough, Mickelson missed the cut for the first time in 31 majors dating to the 1999 British Open at Carnoustie.
-
The original of the word atone, or make atonement, In the Hebrew scripture, carries no such idea of expiation.
The Vicarious Sacrifice, Grounded in Principles of Universal Obligation. 1802-1876 1871
-
It leads into the headless heart: the belief that we should 'atone' by charity.
-
And this, it may be added, is now the ordinary acceptance of the word; to "atone" is to give satisfactlon, or make amends, for an offense or an injury.
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 2: Assizes-Browne 1840-1916 1913
-
The verb "atone", from the adverbial phrase "at one" (M.E. at oon), at first meant to reconcile, or make "at one"; from this it came to denote the action by which such reconciliation was effected, e.g. satisfaction for all offense or an injury.
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 2: Assizes-Browne 1840-1916 1913
-
Blunt recently defended her decision to choose big budget blockbusters over independent movies, insisting she did not need to "atone" for her career choices.
Analysis 2010
-
The Devil Wears Prada actress said she did not need to "atone" and justify the swap.
Gaea Times (by Simple Thoughts) Breaking News and incisive views 24/7 Ani 2010
-
The Devil Wears Prada actress said she did not need to "atone" and justify the swap.
Gaea Times (by Simple Thoughts) Breaking News and incisive views 24/7 Bureau News 2010
Comments
Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.