Meanings
verbatone (third-person singular simple present atones, present participle atoning, simple past and past participle atoned)
present singular third person atones · participle present atoning · participle past atoned · past atoned
- ambitransitiveTo make reparation, compensation, amends or satisfaction for an offence, crime, mistake or deficiency.First known use 1680s
The ritual was performed to atone for sins.
2 more examples
He tried to atone for his mistakes by working harder.
She gave a donation to atone for her past actions.
Synonyms: expiate, propitiate, repair
- obsoletetransitiveTo bring at one or at concordance; to reconcile; to suffer appeasement.First known use 1570s
- obsoletetransitiveTo unite in making.
- proscribedTo absolve (someone else) of wrongdoing, especially by standing as an equivalent.
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo make reparation, compensation, amends or satisfaction for an offence, crime, mistake or deficiency.
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More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishatone
- Englishatone
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.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic كَفَّرَ عَنْ
- كَفَّرَ عَنْ (kaffara ʕan)to make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
Bulgarian изкупвам, изкупвам
- изкупвам (izkupvam)to make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
- изкупвам (izkupvam)to clear someone else of wrongdoing
Czech odčinit
- odčinitto make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
Danish sone, godtgøre
- soneto make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
- godtgøreto make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
Dutch goedmaken, compenseren
- goedmakento make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
- compenserento make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
Finnish hyvittää, sovittaa
- hyvittääto make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
- sovittaato make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
- hyvittääto clear someone else of wrongdoing
- sovittaato clear someone else of wrongdoing
French expier, expier
- expierto make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
- expierto clear someone else of wrongdoing
German wiedergutmachen, kompensieren
- wiedergutmachento make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
- kompensierento make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
- gutmachento make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
- Ersatz leistento make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
- büßento make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
- sühnento make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
- Sühne leistento make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
- Buße tunto make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
- Wiedergutmachung leistento make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
Hungarian vezekel, jóvátesz
- vezekelto make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
- jóváteszto make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
Italian espiare
- espiareto make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
Japanese 償う
- 償う (tsugunau)to make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
Latin expiō
- expiōto make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
Māori whakamārie
- whakamārieto make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
Polish odpokutowywać, odpokutować
- odpokutowywaćto make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
- odpokutowaćto make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
- pokutowaćto make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
- zadośćuczynićto make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
Portuguese redimir
- redimirto make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
Romanian ispăși, ispăși
- ispășito make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
- ispășito clear someone else of wrongdoing
Russian возмеща́ть, компенси́ровать
- возмеща́ть (vozmeščátʹ)to make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
- компенси́ровать (kompensírovatʹ)to make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
- искупа́ть (iskupátʹ)to clear someone else of wrongdoing
Scottish Gaelic dèan rèite, thoir èirig
- dèan rèiteto make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
- thoir èirigto clear someone else of wrongdoing
Spanish expiar, expiar
- expiarto make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
- expiarto clear someone else of wrongdoing
Swedish sona, gottgöra
- sonato make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
- gottgörato make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offence or a crime
- försonato clear someone else of wrongdoing
- förlåtato clear someone else of wrongdoing
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with atone
phoneownloanknownnoneshownunknownzonestonealonetonegrownpensionclonejoanthrownlonecologneconeblownthroneproneJoanneMalone
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
atone. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/atone
MLA
“atone.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/atone. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “atone,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/atone.
Source: atone on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.