Added 10 October 2026
atone
/əˈtəʊn/ verb
In Latin: expiō Wiktionary
verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about atone at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
To make reparation, compensation, amends or satisfaction for an offence, crime, mistake or deficiency. .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}
He tried to atone for his mistakes by working harder.
- To bring at one or at concordance; to reconcile; to suffer appeasement.
- To agree or accord; to be in accordance or harmony.
Origin
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.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)