as in reparation
an act taken in order to redeem oneself
He resolved to make atonement to those he had wronged by doing good deeds for them.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of atonement
Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, is considered the holiest day of the Jewish year and is one of two High Holy Days, along with Rosh Hashanah, according to the University of Southern California and Henry Ford College.
—
Melina Khan, USA Today, 14 Dec. 2025
Why no mumblings of atonement for the predatory nature of capitalism itself, its core values and standard operating procedures no different from those of the beasts in the field?
—Henry Freedland, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
The incident, being investigated as a terrorist attack, took place on Yom Kippur, the Jewish calendar’s day of atonement and fasting.
—Ryan Mancini, The Hill, 3 Oct. 2025
It is traditionally marked by fasting, repentance and prayer, as worshippers seek atonement and spiritual renewal.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atonement
Melina Khan, USA Today, 14 Dec. 2025
Why no mumblings of atonement for the predatory nature of capitalism itself, its core values and standard operating procedures no different from those of the beasts in the field?
—Henry Freedland, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
The incident, being investigated as a terrorist attack, took place on Yom Kippur, the Jewish calendar’s day of atonement and fasting.
—Ryan Mancini, The Hill, 3 Oct. 2025
It is traditionally marked by fasting, repentance and prayer, as worshippers seek atonement and spiritual renewal.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atonement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atonement
Noun
-
The fees would act as a kind of war reparations, says Ghiselli, while allowing Iran to institutionalize its management of the shipping route.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The city currently collects a 3% Cannabis Retailers Occupation Tax on recreational cannabis sales to use as revenue for reparations, in addition to funding from Evanston’s real estate transfer tax.—
Claire Murphy,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
If the first season was about grief, and the second about forgiveness, this latest chapter is about moving forward, and no character embodies that struggle more profoundly than Paul.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
14 Apr. 2026
-
And while the on-screen action is champagne for the senses, irrepressibly bubbly and bright, its themes are on the serious side, dabbling in desperation, reinvention, and forgiveness.—
Debby Wolfinsohn,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Atonement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atonement. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
