reconcile

R1E1C3O1N1C3I1L1E1
UK/ˈɹɛkənsaɪl/Canada, US/ˈɹɛkənˌsaɪl/Australia/ˈɹekənsɑel/New Zealand/ˈɹekənsaɪl/

verb

To restore a friendly relationship; to bring back or return to harmony.

“to reconcile differences”

Similar
accommodateconciliateharmonizeharmonisepatch upmake upsettleresign
OriginLatin reconciliō ← Proto-Italic *kalō ← Proto-Indo-European *kelh₁- →
Less commonScrabble 13
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Meanings

verbreconcile (third-person singular simple present reconciles, present participle reconciling, simple past and past participle reconciled)

present singular third person reconciles · participle present reconciling · participle past reconciled · past reconciled · alternative reconciliate

  1. ambitransitiveTo restore a friendly relationship; to bring back or return to harmony.

    to wait until others have reconciled

    1 more example

    to reconcile people who have quarrelled

  2. transitiveTo make things compatible or consistent.

    to reconcile differences

    3 more examples

    The great men among the ancients understood how to reconcile manual labour with affairs of state.

    1693, [John Locke], “§2015”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], →OCLC

    Some Figures monstrous and mis-shap'd appear, Consider'd singly, or beheld too near, Which, but proportion'd to their Light, or Place, Due Distance reconciles to Form and Grace

    1711 May, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Criticism, London: […] W[illiam] Lewis […]; and sold by W[illiam] Taylor […], T[homas] Osborn[e] […], and J[ohn] Graves […], →OCLC

    Since all men are by nature egoists and morality can only be rationalized egoism, the problem is to devise a form of social organization that will reconcile the selfish interests of each with the needs of all.

    1978 [1976], Leszek Kołakowski, translated by P[aul] S[teven] Falla, Main Currents of Marxism, volume I: The Founders, Oxford: Clarendon Press, translation of Główne nurty marksizmu: powstanie (in Polish), →ISBN, →OCLC, page 151
  3. transitiveaccountingTo make the net difference in credits and debits of a financial account agree with the balance.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbmake (one thing) compatible with (another)

Similar
accommodateconciliate
Broader
harmonizeharmonise

verbbring into consonance or accord

Similar
harmonizeharmonise
Broader
adjustsetcorrect

verbcome to terms

Similar
patch upmake upconciliatesettle
Broader
agreeholdconcur

verbaccept as inevitable

Similar
resignsubmit
Broader
accept
Also see
accommodatecompensateconciliateharmonizemake uppatch upresignsettlesubmit

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Italic*wre-
  2. Latinre-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*ḱe?
  4. Proto-Indo-European*ḱóm
  5. Proto-Italic*kom
  6. Proto-Italic*kom-
  7. Latincon-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*kelh₁-
  9. Proto-Italic*kalō
  10. Latincalō
  11. Latinconcilium
  12. Latinconciliō
  13. Latinreconciliō
  14. Englishreconcile

Borrowed from Latin reconciliō.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek καταλλάσσω, συμβιβάζω
  • καταλλάσσω (katallássō)to restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • συμβιβάζω (sumbibázō)to restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
Arabic أَصْلَحَ بَيْنَ, وَفَّقَ بَيْنَ
  • أَصْلَحَ بَيْنَ (ʔaṣlaḥa bayna)to restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • وَفَّقَ بَيْنَ (waffaqa bayna)to restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • وَفَّقَ (waffaqa)to make things compatible or consistent
Bulgarian помирявам, сдобрявам
  • помирявам (pomirjavam)to restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • сдобрявам (sdobrjavam)to restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • съгласувам (săglasuvam)to make things compatible or consistent
  • изравнявам (izravnjavam)to make the net difference in credits and debits of a financial account agree with the balance
Chinese Mandarin 調和 /调和, 對賬 /对账
  • 調和 /调和 (tiáohé)to make things compatible or consistent
  • 對賬 /对账 (duìzhàng)to make the net difference in credits and debits of a financial account agree with the balance
Czech usmířit se, smířit se
  • usmířit seto restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • smířit seto restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • smířitto restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • sladitto make things compatible or consistent
  • srovnatto make things compatible or consistent
  • vyrovnatto make the net difference in credits and debits of a financial account agree with the balance
  • srovnatto make the net difference in credits and debits of a financial account agree with the balance
  • urovnatto make the net difference in credits and debits of a financial account agree with the balance
Dutch reconciliëren, verzoenen
  • reconciliërento restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • verzoenento restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • verzoenento make things compatible or consistent
Esperanto bilanci
  • bilancito make the net difference in credits and debits of a financial account agree with the balance
Finnish sovitella, täsmäyttää
  • sovitellato restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • täsmäyttääto make things compatible or consistent
  • täsmäyttääto make the net difference in credits and debits of a financial account agree with the balance
French réconcilier, réconcilier
  • réconcilierto restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • réconcilierto make things compatible or consistent
  • concilierto make things compatible or consistent
German versöhnen, versöhnen
  • versöhnento restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • versöhnento make things compatible or consistent
Greek συμφιλιώνω, συμβιβάζω
  • συμφιλιώνω (symfilióno)to restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • συμβιβάζω (symvivázo)to make things compatible or consistent
Hungarian kibékít, összebékít
  • kibékítto restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • összebékítto restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • összeegyeztetto make things compatible or consistent
Italian riconciliare, rappacificare
  • riconciliareto restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • rappacificareto restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • riunireto restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • conciliareto restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • riconciliareto make things compatible or consistent
  • conciliareto make things compatible or consistent
  • quagliareto make things compatible or consistent
  • quadrareto make the net difference in credits and debits of a financial account agree with the balance
Japanese 和解させる, 仲直りさせる
  • 和解させる (wakai saseru)to restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • 仲直りさせる (nakanaori saseru)to restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
Korean 화해하다
  • 화해하다 (hwahaehada)to restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
Norwegian forsone
  • forsoneto restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
Polish godzić, pogodzić
  • godzićto restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • pogodzićto restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • godzić sięto restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • pogodzić sięto restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • jednaćto restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • pojednaćto restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • jednać sięto restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • pojednać sięto restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • godzićto make things compatible or consistent
  • pogodzićto make things compatible or consistent
  • wyrównywaćto make the net difference in credits and debits of a financial account agree with the balance
  • wyrównaćto make the net difference in credits and debits of a financial account agree with the balance
Portuguese reconciliar, reconciliar
  • reconciliarto restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • reconciliarto make things compatible or consistent
Romanian reconcilia, împăca
  • reconciliato restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • împăcato restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • reconciliato make things compatible or consistent
Russian помири́ться, помири́ть
  • помири́ться (pomirítʹsja)to restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • помири́ть (pomirítʹ)to restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • примири́ть (primirítʹ)to restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • примиря́ть (primirjátʹ)to restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • примири́ться (primirítʹsja)to restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • примиря́ться (primirjátʹsja)to restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
Spanish reconciliar, avenir
  • reconciliarto restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • avenirto restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • conciliarto make things compatible or consistent
Swahili kupatanisha
  • kupatanishato restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
Swedish försona, förlika
  • försonato restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • förlikato make things compatible or consistent
Tagalog makipagbati, magbati
  • makipagbatito restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • magbatito restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • magbatito make things compatible or consistent
Thai คืนดี
  • คืนดี (kʉʉn-dii)to restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
Turkish barışmak, barıştırmak
  • barışmakto restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
  • barıştırmakto restore a friendly relationship (transitive)
Yiddish אויסאיינען
  • אויסאיינען (oyseynen)to make things compatible or consistent

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

incelcore
Cite this entry
APA

reconcile. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reconcile

MLA

“reconcile.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reconcile. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “reconcile,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reconcile.

Source: reconcile on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.