reconcile
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
to become friendly again after a fight or disagreement.
to restore friendly relations between parties after a period of conflict or estrangement.
Simple“After not speaking for years, the two brothers finally managed to reconcile.”
In context“The mediator worked tirelessly to reconcile the warring factions, eventually securing a fragile peace treaty that satisfied both leaderships.”
UsageOften used with 'with' when an object is present.
- 02 C1 Advanced
to find a way to make two different ideas or facts exist together without conflict.
to make two seemingly incompatible concepts, facts, or beliefs consistent with one another.
Simple“It is sometimes hard to reconcile your personal beliefs with your professional duties.”
In context“The philosopher attempted to reconcile the existence of evil with the concept of a benevolent deity, a challenge that has persisted for centuries.”
UsageTypically takes a direct object followed by 'with'.
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
to check that two sets of numbers, like a bank statement and your own records, match exactly.
to ensure that the net difference in credits and debits of a financial account agrees with the corresponding balance.
Simple“The accountant needs to reconcile the bank statement with the company's internal records.”
In context“At the end of each fiscal quarter, the treasury department must reconcile all outstanding invoices to ensure the ledger reflects the actual cash flow.”
UsageCommonly used in accounting and legal contexts regarding audits.
“The archive connects readers to the voices of Irish Jews, demonstrating how earlier generations reconciled those two identities.”
“How do you reconcile these criticisms as they relate to your research on musicals?”
Borrowed from Latin reconciliō.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.