atonement

noun

atone·ment | \ ə-ˈtōn-mənt

Definition of atonement

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

But because the brain is changing, teens have increased capacity for atonement and rehabilitation than someone in middle age, and punishments should take that into account. — Karen Campbell, BostonGlobe.com, "Her quest to understand the teenage brain," 12 July 2018 Most of the Jews now are immigrants from the former Soviet Union who were taken in after the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, a gesture of atonement for the Holocaust crimes of the Nazis. — Kirsten Grieshaber, Fox News, "Jewish teens enlisted to fight anti-Semitism in Germany," 29 July 2018 The pitches blanketing media channels in recent weeks show how the latest wave of atonement tours has become more sophisticated, as customers themselves increasingly tap multiple forums to express their dissatisfaction with a brand... — Tory Newmyer, Washington Post, "The Finance 202: Volcker Rule changes aren't actually wholesale gutting of post-crisis regime," 31 May 2018 The pitches blanketing media channels in recent weeks show how the latest wave of atonement tours has become more sophisticated, as customers themselves increasingly tap multiple forums to express their dissatisfaction with a brand.... — Suzanne Vranica, WSJ, "‘I’m Sorry’ Gets More Expensive for Wells, Uber and Facebook," 30 May 2018 Male redemption narratives have rarely required of their leading figures any meaningful restoration or atonement: The simple act of apologizing is enough to warrant a second act. — Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, "Do Beyoncé Fans Have to Forgive Jay-Z?," 18 June 2018 For a man interested in atonement, that’s a slam dunk. — Jenice Armstrong, Philly.com, "A big rebound for ex-Sixers star Jayson Williams | Jenice Armstrong," 4 June 2018 Though quite radical in his exploration of parenthood, Nevo is rather conservative on the question of which character deserves punishment and which achieves atonement. — Ayelet Gundar-goshen, New York Times, "Three Floors, Three Different Israeli Stories," 5 Jan. 2018 At the time, the move was widely seen, at least in part, as a grand gesture of atonement for the worst crimes of German history. — Washington Post, "After a refugee influx, does Germany have an imported anti-Semitism problem?," 28 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'atonement.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.