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
In this slow-burn story of estrangement and reconciliation, the negotiation is a familial one, the fault lines emotional rather than linguistic.
—Dan Sheehan, Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
Wearing her mother’s wings on the ice for a celebration skating, she is unexpectedly joined by her sisters—a gesture that underscores family support and reconciliation amidst competition.
—Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 22 Jan. 2026
The only major legislation was a reconciliation bill that contained a variety of provisions but was, at its core, an extension of existing tax policy.
—Yuval Levin, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
ComEd will file for a 2025 rate reconciliation in April, which if approved would raise delivery rates again in 2027.
—Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reconciliation
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Dan Sheehan, Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
Wearing her mother’s wings on the ice for a celebration skating, she is unexpectedly joined by her sisters—a gesture that underscores family support and reconciliation amidst competition.
—Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 22 Jan. 2026
The only major legislation was a reconciliation bill that contained a variety of provisions but was, at its core, an extension of existing tax policy.
—Yuval Levin, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
ComEd will file for a 2025 rate reconciliation in April, which if approved would raise delivery rates again in 2027.
—Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 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 25 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
