atonement
- 01 C2 Proficiency
in Christianity, the way that the death of Jesus brings God and people together again.
the reconciliation of God and mankind through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.
Simple“The priest spoke about the importance of atonement during the Easter service.”
In context“Theological debates often centre on different theories of the Atonement and how they define the relationship between divine justice and mercy.”
UsageOften capitalized as 'the Atonement' when referring to the specific Christian doctrine.
Synonyms - 02 C2 Proficiency
an old-fashioned word for two people or groups becoming friends again.
the restoration of friendly relations or concord between parties.
Simple“After years of fighting, the two families finally reached a state of atonement.”
In context“The treaty was less about territory and more about a symbolic atonement between the two warring factions.”
Synonyms
Perhaps from atone + -ment as translation of Medieval Latin adūnāmentum; however, the noun is found earlier than the verb (atone); and in this light, the proper etymology is at + onement.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.