atonement

noun

atone·​ment ə-ˈtōn-mənt 

1

: reparation for an offense or injury : satisfaction

a story of sin and atonement

He wanted to find a way to make atonement for his sins.

2

: the reconciliation of God and humankind through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ

3

obsolete : reconciliation

Examples of atonement in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

However, his big mistake ended up leading to a massive atonement on Thursday night with the selection of Downs. —Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Apr. 2026

As part of this act of atonement, four bulls and four heifers are slaughtered at the sanctuaries of the nymphs, and their bodies are left in a grove. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Apr. 2026

Every American should have a bad conscience about Afghanistan, but my obsession with getting them to a safe place doesn’t feel like atonement. —George Packer, The Atlantic, 24 Mar. 2026

Witherspoon was due for atonement. —Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see atone

First Known Use

1513, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for atonement

• dethronement
• enthronement
• postponement

Kids Definition

atonement

noun

atone·​ment ə-ˈtōn-mənt 

1

: the return to a state of love and harmony between God and human beings through the death of Jesus Christ

2

: something that makes up for an offense or injury