Etymology

atone

A1T1O1N1E1

Today it means: To make reparation, compensation, amends or satisfaction for an offence, crime, mistake or deficiency. Full definition →

First used 1680sMiddle English atone
Ask AI about its historyChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

The story

  1. Middle English · derived fromatone
  2. English todayatone

From atone (“reconciled”), from Middle English atone, attone, atoon (“agreed”, literally “at one”), equivalent to at + one. Compare Latin adūnō (“to unite, make one”) for the similar formation. Regarding the different phonological development of atone and one, see the note in one.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 1680s To make reparation, compensation, amends or satisfaction for an offence, crime, mistake or deficiency.
  • from 1570s To bring at one or at concordance; to reconcile; to suffer appeasement.
  • from 1590s To agree or accord; to be in accordance or harmony.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.