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

reconciliatory

ˌre-kən-ˈsil-yə-ˌtȯr-ē 

-ˈsi-lē-ə-

adjective

Examples 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

As Boshoff also reported, the king and the palace imposed some pretty strict restrictions on the famously attention-seeking Harry and Meghan for the reconciliation to take place. — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 17 July 2026

ComEd, Chicago’s primary electric utility, is seeking a $234 million rate reconciliation for rising costs incurred, in large part, from data centers. — Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026

The senator’s comments come after House Republicans moved to attach elements of the SAVE America Act to a $95 billion party-line spending bill, also known as reconciliation. — Sydney Topf, The Washington Examiner, 16 July 2026

The cost of the GOP reconciliation package rises 42 percent when debt service costs are included. — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 16 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English reconsiliacioun, from Anglo-French, from Latin reconciliation-, reconciliatio, from reconciliare

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for reconciliation

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration