reconciliation
noun
rec·on·cil·i·a·tion
ˌre-kən-ˌsi-lē-ˈā-shən 
1
: the action of reconciling : the state of being reconciled
2
: the Roman Catholic sacrament of penance
3
US government
: a legislative process that enables expedited passage of a bill relating to certain matters in the federal budget by a simple majority of votes
used reconciliation to repeal the bill passed during the prior session of Congress
Aides to senior House Republicans said Thursday that committee chairmen were meeting now to decide whether a budget plan … will include parliamentary language, known as reconciliation instructions, that would allow much of a Republican health care plan to pass the filibuster-prone Senate with a simple majority.—
Jonathan Weisman
Jonathan WeismanExamples of reconciliation in a Sentence
Signing the trade agreement was praised as an act of reconciliation between the two countries.
He contacted us in hopes of a reconciliation.
a reconciliation of opposing views
Recent Examples on the Web
Fighting to pass another reconciliation bill, which only takes a simple majority vote in the two chambers, may be the only way Congress can approve cash to support the war in Iran.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026
Though some prisoner swaps have taken place, there has been no viable reconciliation.
—ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026
Republicans have vowed to fund immigration enforcement agencies through the reconciliation process, though the strategy is expected to face more hurdles with the GOP's narrow majority and a lack of Democratic support.
—March 27, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
Earlier this week, Senate Republicans floated a proposal to immediately fund key Department of Homeland Security agencies through regular order, while routing funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) removal operations through a reconciliation package.
—The Hill, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reconciliation
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Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026
Though some prisoner swaps have taken place, there has been no viable reconciliation.
—ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026
Republicans have vowed to fund immigration enforcement agencies through the reconciliation process, though the strategy is expected to face more hurdles with the GOP's narrow majority and a lack of Democratic support.
—March 27, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
Earlier this week, Senate Republicans floated a proposal to immediately fund key Department of Homeland Security agencies through regular order, while routing funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) removal operations through a reconciliation package.
—The Hill, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reconciliation
Cite this Entry
“Reconciliation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reconciliation. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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