Meaning & use
atonement
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Meaning
noununcountablereligion
The act of making amends or reparation for a wrong, injury, or sin that someone has committed.
Grammar: Usually uncountable; say make atonement for something, not an atonement in everyday English.
Patterns
- make atonement for something
- atonement for a sin
- seek atonement
He tried to make atonement for the damage he had caused.
The ritual is understood as atonement for wrongdoing.
She viewed years of service as a form of atonement.
Common combinations
- make atonement for
- The charity work was meant to make atonement for earlier neglect.
- atonement for a wrong
- Public apology alone was not considered full atonement for the wrong.
- seek atonement
- In the story, the character travels to seek atonement.
Synonyms and how they differ
- reparation
- Reparation often involves concrete compensation or repair; atonement is broader and moral or spiritual.
- amends
- Amends is the everyday word in make amends; atonement sounds more solemn and religious.
- penance
- Penance is a religious act performed to show sorrow; atonement can include action, payment, suffering, or reform.
- redemption
- Redemption emphasizes being restored or saved; atonement emphasizes the making of amends itself.
Word family
- atone verb
- To make amends, especially for a wrong or sin.
- atonable adjective
- Capable of being atoned for; rare outside religious or legal discussion.
Commonly confused: atonement or apology? atonement or attachment?
atonement vs apology
An apology is a statement of regret; atonement usually involves action, sacrifice, or repair beyond words.
atonement vs attachment
Attachment means a feeling of closeness or an added file; it differs in sound and meaning from atonement.
Practice
The volunteer work was intended to make ___ the harm caused by the accident.
Choose one answer.
The fixed pattern is make atonement for something, meaning to try to repair a wrong. An apology for is grammatical but only expresses regret, amends to uses the wrong preposition, and attention to changes the meaning completely.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “atonement”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.