Word of the Day

: September 19, 2018

atone

verb uh-TOHN

What It Means

1 : to make amends : to provide or serve as reparation or compensation for something bad or unwelcome — usually + for

2 : to make reparation or supply satisfaction for : expiate — used in the passive voice with for

atone in Context

James tried to atone for the mistakes of his youth by devoting his life to helping others.

"Tony Stark became Iron Man partially to atone for his history of global weapons profiteering." — Alex Biese and Felecia Wellington Radel, Asbury Park (New Jersey) Press, 1 July 2018

Did You Know?

Atone comes to us from the combination in Middle English of at and on, the latter of which is an old variant of one. Together they meant "in harmony." (In current English, we use "at one" with a similar suggestion of harmony in such phrases as "at one with nature.") When it first entered English, atone meant "to reconcile" and suggested the restoration of a peaceful and harmonious state between people or groups. These days the verb specifically implies addressing the damage (or disharmony) caused by one's own behavior.