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reconcile

verb
rec·​on·​cile | \ ˈre-kən-ˌsī(-ə)l \
reconciled; reconciling

Definition of reconcile

transitive verb

1a : to restore to friendship or harmony reconciled the factions
b : settle, resolve reconcile differences
2 : to make consistent or congruous reconcile an ideal with reality
3 : to cause to submit to or accept something unpleasant was reconciled to hardship
4a : to check (a financial account) against another for accuracy
b : to account for

intransitive verb

: to become reconciled
Other Words from reconcile Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about reconcile

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Other Words from reconcile

reconcilability \ ˌre-​kən-​ˌsī-​lə-​ˈbi-​lə-​tē \ noun
reconcilable \ ˌre-​kən-​ˈsī-​lə-​bəl , ˈre-​kən-​ˌsī-​ \ adjective
reconcilement \ ˈre-​kən-​ˌsī(-​ə)l-​mənt \ noun
reconciler noun

Synonyms & Antonyms for reconcile

Synonyms

accommodate, attune, conciliate, conform, coordinate, harmonize, key

Antonyms

disharmonize

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Choose the Right Synonym for reconcile

adapt, adjust, accommodate, conform, reconcile mean to bring one thing into correspondence with another. adapt implies a modification according to changing circumstances. adapted themselves to the warmer climate adjust suggests bringing into a close and exact correspondence or harmony such as exists between parts of a mechanism. adjusted the budget to allow for inflation accommodate may suggest yielding or compromising to effect a correspondence. accommodated his political beliefs in order to win conform applies to bringing into accordance with a pattern, example, or principle. refused to conform to society's values reconcile implies the demonstration of the underlying compatibility of things that seem to be incompatible. tried to reconcile what he said with what I knew

Examples of reconcile in a Sentence

She and Eddie had separated and reconciled so many times the children had lost track of whose clothes were where. — John Grisham, The Chamber, 1995 He thought they might reconcile the Parisians to his daring design by reminding them of the familiar arches of their bridges. — Mario Salvadori, Why Buildings Stand Up, 1990 By exposing the comic-pathetic quality of the human condition, it temporarily reconciles us to that condition without creating in us complacence, lethargy, or any negative emotion. — Clifton Fadiman, Center Magazine, January-February 1971 It is a function of architecture to reconcile technology with human cussedness, to make the mechanics of life endurable … — Russell Lynes, Harper's, October 1968 It can be difficult to reconcile your ideals with reality. historians have never been able to reconcile the two eyewitness accounts of the battle
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Recent Examples on the Web

 The question of how much wall is enough is much less a question of policy than of what Trump himself will be satisfied with — or have to reconcile himself to. — Dara Lind, Vox, "Slats, fences, and wall, explained: what exactly the shutdown fight is about," 21 Dec. 2018 When the other party doesn't want to reconcile Of course, not every estrangement can be solved. — Ashley Edwards Walker, Good Housekeeping, "How to Re-Establish Contact With an Estranged Family Member," 21 Dec. 2018 But by the time of the concert in July 2007, there were already rumors that William and Kate had reconciled. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Prince William Had an Awkward Interview After His 2007 Breakup with Kate Middleton," 12 Dec. 2018 Blink is itself a fork of the WebKit rendering engine, created because Google and Apple couldn't reconcile their different priorities in the same codebase. — Peter Bright, Ars Technica, "Edge dies a death of a thousand cuts as Microsoft switches to Chromium," 6 Dec. 2018 Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and his underlings scrambled to react and reconcile the president’s sudden demand with the military’s practices and protocols. — Philip Rucker, The Seattle Times, "Officials scramble to make Trump’s false assertions real," 23 Oct. 2018 The study is the product of a large group of Antarctic experts who collectively reviewed 24 recent measurements of Antarctic ice loss, reconciling their differences to produce the most definitive figures yet on changes in Antarctica. — Chris Mooney, courant.com, "Antarctic ice loss has tripled in a decade. If that continues we are in serious trouble.," 13 June 2018 Lincoln hoped ultimately to reconcile Southerners to the Union and thus made a critical decision to treat Confederates as legitimate belligerents rather than traitors. — Drew Gilpin Faust, WSJ, "‘The War for the Common Soldier’ and ‘The Calculus of Violence’ Review: Billy Yank and Johnny Reb," 7 Dec. 2018 The two recently reconciled and even made a couple of videos together for Josh's YouTube channel. — Tamara Fuentes, Seventeen, "We've Been Singing The "Drake and Josh" Theme Song Wrong All These Years," 20 Sep. 2018

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

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First Known Use of reconcile

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

History and Etymology for reconcile

Middle English, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French reconciler, from Latin reconciliare, from re- + conciliare to conciliate

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Statistics for reconcile

Last Updated

11 Jan 2019

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Time Traveler for reconcile

The first known use of reconcile was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for reconcile

reconcile

verb

English Language Learners Definition of reconcile

: to find a way of making (two different ideas, facts, etc.) exist or be true at the same time

: to cause people or groups to become friendly again after an argument or disagreement

See the full definition for reconcile in the English Language Learners Dictionary

reconcile

verb
rec·​on·​cile | \ ˈre-kən-ˌsīl \
reconciled; reconciling

Kids Definition of reconcile

1 : to make friendly again She helped to reconcile friends who had been quarreling.
2 : to settle by agreement : adjust You'll have to reconcile your differences.
3 : to make agree His story cannot be reconciled with the facts.
4 : to cause to give in or accept I reconciled myself to the loss.

reconcile

verb
rec·​on·​cile | \ ˈre-kən-ˌsīl \
reconciled; reconciling

Legal Definition of reconcile

transitive verb

1a : to restore to harmony reconciled the parties reconciled the marriage
b : to bring to resolution reconcile differences
2a : to check (a financial account) against another for accuracy
b : to account for

intransitive verb

: to become reconciled specifically : to voluntarily resume cohabitation as spouses prior to a divorce becoming final with the mutual intention of remaining together and reestablishing a harmonious relationship denied the complaint for divorce because the parties had reconciled

Other Words from reconcile

reconcilability \ ˌre-​kən-​ˌsī-​lə-​ˈbi-​lə-​tē \ noun
reconcilable \ ˌre-​kən-​ˈsī-​lə-​bəl \ adjective
reconcilement noun
reconciliation \ ˌre-​kən-​ˌsi-​lē-​ˈā-​shən \ noun

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More from Merriam-Webster on reconcile

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with reconcile

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for reconcile

Spanish Central: Translation of reconcile

Nglish: Translation of reconcile for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of reconcile for Arabic Speakers

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