Meaning & use
redemption
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Meanings
noununcountable
The act of making up for a past mistake or failure, so that a person's reputation or situation is improved.
Grammar: Not used with an or in the plural: seek redemption, find redemption.
Patterns
- seek redemption
- redemption from something
- a chance at redemption
After the scandal, the senator sought redemption through years of service.
The film is a story of redemption.
The goalkeeper found redemption by saving a late penalty.
noununcountablereligion
In religion, being saved from sin and its consequences.
Grammar: Often used in Christian teaching; usually followed by from sin.
Patterns
- redemption from sin
- redemption through faith
The sermon spoke of redemption through faith.
Many hymns celebrate redemption and forgiveness.
The story ends with the hero's spiritual redemption.
noununcountablefinanceformal
The act of buying back or exchanging something, such as repaying a debt or turning a voucher into cash or goods.
Grammar: Used in finance and shopping: coupon redemption, the redemption of a bond.
Patterns
- the redemption of something
- redemption of a bond
The redemption of the bonds takes place in ten years.
Coupon redemption ends on Friday.
Customers can use the redemption code at checkout.
Common combinations
- seek redemption
- The former rival sought redemption by apologizing publicly.
- path to redemption
- Her path to redemption was long and difficult.
- beyond redemption
- The old building was beyond redemption.
- find redemption
- He found redemption through volunteer work.
- spiritual redemption
- The monk spoke of spiritual redemption.
- redemption code
- Enter the redemption code to claim your gift.
Synonyms and how they differ
- salvation
- Salvation is mainly religious and means being saved from sin, while redemption can also mean earning back respect.
- atonement
- Atonement focuses on the act of making amends for wrongdoing, whereas redemption stresses the resulting recovery.
- rescue
- Rescue is about being saved from danger, not about fixing a past fault.
- amends
- Amends are the actions that put things right, while redemption is the overall change in status.
Opposites
Word family
- redeem verb
- to make up for faults, or to exchange a voucher for something
- redeemer noun
- a person who saves or rescues others
- redeemable adjective
- able to be exchanged or saved
- redemptive adjective
- bringing about redemption
- unredeemed adjective
- not saved, improved or exchanged
Commonly confused: redemption or redeeming? redemption or resumption?
redemption vs redeeming
Redeeming is an adjective as in 'redeeming feature', a good quality that makes up for faults, not the noun redemption.
redemption vs resumption
Resumption means starting again after a pause and is unrelated, although it looks similar in length and ending.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'redemption' in its everyday, non-religious sense?
Choose one answer.
Redemption can mean recovering your reputation after failure, which fits option two. The first sentence is religious, and the others misuse the word.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “redemption”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.