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expiate

verb ex·pi·ate \ ˈek-spē-ˌāt \

Definition of expiate

expiated; expiating
transitive verb
1 obsolete :to put an end to
2 a :to extinguish the guilt incurred by
b :to make amends for
  • permission to expiate their offences by their assiduous labours
  • —Francis Bacon
intransitive verb
:to make expiation
—

expiable

play \ˈek-spē-ə-bəl\ adjective
—

expiator

play \ˈek-spē-ˌā-tər\ noun

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Examples of expiate in a Sentence

  1. Yom Kippur is the holy day on which Jews are expected to expiate sins committed during the past year.

Did You Know?

Disaster shall fall upon you, which you will not be able to expiate. That ominous biblical prophecy (Isaiah 47:11, RSV) shows that expiate was once involved in confronting the forces of evil as well as in assuaging guilt. The word derives from expiare, Latin for to atone for, a root that in turn traces to the Latin term for "pious." Expiate originally referred to warding off evil by using sacred rites or to using sacred rites to cleanse or purify something. By the 17th century, Shakespeare (and others) were using it to mean "to put an end to": "But when in thee time's furrows I behold, / Then look I death my days should expiate" (Sonnet 22). Those senses have since become obsolete, and now only the "extinguish the guilt" and "make amends" senses remain in use.

Origin and Etymology of expiate

Latin expiatus, past participle of expiare to atone for, from ex- + piare to atone for, appease, from pius faithful, pious

expiate Synonyms

Synonyms
atone (for), mend, redeem, make amends for, make good for
Related Words
compensate, recompense, reimburse, remunerate, repay; amend, correct, rectify, redress; propitiate

EXPIATE Defined for English Language Learners

expiate

verb

Definition of expiate for English Language Learners

  • : to do something as a way to show that you are sorry about doing something bad

Learn More about expiate

  1. See words that rhyme with expiate Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for expiate Spanish Central: Translation of expiate Nglish: Translation of expiate for Spanish speakers

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