# atonement

/əˈtoʊnmənt/ (US) · /ɐtˈəʊnmənt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/atonement
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 2. religious reconciliation

noun · CEFR C2 · Formal · Technical

in Christianity, the way that the death of Jesus brings God and people together again.

For teachers: the reconciliation of God and mankind through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.

- The priest spoke about the importance of atonement during the Easter service.
- Theological debates often centre on different theories of the Atonement and how they define the relationship between divine justice and mercy.

Usage: Often capitalized as 'the Atonement' when referring to the specific Christian doctrine.

### 3. restoring harmony

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

an old-fashioned word for two people or groups becoming friends again.

For teachers: the restoration of friendly relations or concord between parties.

- After years of fighting, the two families finally reached a state of atonement.
- The treaty was less about territory and more about a symbolic atonement between the two warring factions.

## Examples

- He spent years doing charity work as atonement for his crimes.
- The protagonist seeks atonement for his childhood betrayal by returning to his war-torn homeland to save a friend's son.
- The theological concept of atonement involves not merely the recognition of guilt, but a transformative process of restitution intended to restore a fractured moral order.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.