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

But Johnson will have a full plate when the House returns on Monday, with a second reconciliation bill, and funding of the Department of Homeland Security on the horizon. —Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 19 Apr. 2026

However, the pair sparked reconciliation rumors in early 2026 when Giannulli was seen showing support at a screening of Elordi’s film, Frankenstein. —Katie Mannion, PEOPLE, 19 Apr. 2026

Senate Republicans agreed to a deal with Democrats in late March to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security and then to pass additional funding for ICE and Border Patrol through the budget reconciliation process to get around a Democratic filibuster. —Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 17 Apr. 2026

Sofi and Jordan rekindle friendships and more against a gorgeous backdrop as the pendulum swings between reconciliation and rupture. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 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