Definition of expiation
1a
: the act of expiating something : the act of extinguishing the guilt incurred by something
… the Mass, the principal church ceremony that celebrates the sacrifice of Christ for the expiation of the original sin of Adam and Eve. — The Root (online)
b
: the act or process of making atonement for something
When the available files failed to provide a complete picture of Argentine complicity, what began as an attempt at public expiation and national exorcism of its Nazi ghosts ended in depictions of Argentina as even more entangled in and haunted by its Nazi past.— Victoria Allison
2
: the means by which expiation or atonement is made
Well, all I can do now is to carry out his wishes; that will be my expiation for my neglect.— Bram Stoker You wanted to write about the way people left so much food on their plates and crumpled a few dollar bills down, as though it were an offering, expiation for the wasted food.— Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for expiation
The first known use of expiation was in the 15th century
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