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

Christian Science : the exemplifying of human oneness with God

4

obsolete : reconciliation

Examples of atonement in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Speaking with Kandi Burruss on The Morning Hustle, the two reflected on the moment they were pulled to the side for the Brooklyn rapper’s atonement. —Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 2 May 2025

The grieving faithful joined the procession of mourners that wended from St. Peter’s Square through the basilica’s Holy Door, with the repentant among them winning an indulgence, a form of atonement granted during the Jubilee Holy Year. —Colleen Barry, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025

One long-running attempt met a setback on Feb. 21, 2025, when the U.S. Supreme Court threw out an appeals court ruling in favor of survivors seeking atonement from Hungary’s state railways. —Sarah Federman, The Conversation, 16 Apr. 2025

Her attendance is part of her atonement to Gary, who wants to meet the tourists his girlfriend hooked up with. —Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see atone

First Known Use

1513, in the meaning defined at sense 4

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