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- DictionaryA·tone/əˈtōn/
verb
- 1. make amends or reparation: "he was being helpful, to atone for his past mistakes"
to do something that shows you are sorry for something bad that you did or for something that you failed to do: The director of the company has expressed a wish to atone for her past sins. (Definition of atone from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)
To atone is to do something "right" to make up for doing something wrong. Religious believers are known to atone for their sins, but even students can atone for a past failure by acing a quiz or two. The word atone came to English as a contraction of the words at and one. The verb means to make amends or reparations for an offense or wrong doing.
6 days ago · atone (third-person singular simple present atones, present participle atoning, simple past and past participle atoned) ( transitive, intransitive) To make reparation, compensation, amends or satisfaction for an offence, crime, mistake or deficiency. [from 1680s] Synonyms: expiate, propitiate.
atone (for something) to act in a way that shows you are sorry for doing something wrong in the past synonym make amends. to atone for a crime; a desire to atone
6 days ago · atone in American English. (əˈtoun) (verb atoned, atoning) intransitive verb. 1. (usually fol. by for) to make amends or reparation, as for an offense or a crime, or for an offender. to atone for one's sins. 2. (usually fol. by for) to make up, as for errors or deficiencies. to atone for one's failings.
All rights reserved. atone. ( əˈtəʊn) vb. 1. (foll by: for) to make amends or reparation (for a crime, sin, etc) 2. ( tr) to expiate: to atone a guilt with repentance. 3. obsolete to be in or bring into agreement. [C16: back formation from atonement] aˈtonable, aˈtoneable adj. aˈtoner n.
Atone definition: to make amends or reparation, as for an offense or a crime, or for an offender (usually followed by for). See examples of ATONE used in a sentence.
