Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To make amends, as for a sin or fault.
 - intransitive verb Archaic To agree.
 - intransitive verb To expiate.
 - intransitive verb Archaic To conciliate; appease.
 - intransitive verb Obsolete To reconcile or harmonize.
 
from The Century Dictionary.
- At one; reconciled.
 - Together; at once.
 - To be at one; agree; be in accordance; accord.
 - To make reparation, amends, or satisfaction, as for an offense or a crime, or for an offender: with for.
 - To make up, as for errors or deficiencies; be a set-off or palliative.
 - To bring into concord; reconcile, as parties at variance.
 - To put in accordance; harmonize.
 - To unite in forming.
 - To conciliate; appease.
 - To expiate; answer or make satisfaction for.
 
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- intransitive verb obsolete To agree; to be in accordance; to accord.
 - intransitive verb To stand as an equivalent; to make reparation, compensation, or amends, for an offense or a crime.
 - In concord or friendship; in agreement (with each other). e., to be or bring in or to a state of agreement or reconciliation.
 - Of the same opinion; agreed.
 - obsolete Together.
 - transitive verb obsolete To set at one; to reduce to concord; to reconcile, as parties at variance; to appease.
 - transitive verb Obs. & R. To unite in making.
 - transitive verb To make satisfaction for; to expiate.
 
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb   To make 
reparation ,compensation , oramends , for an offence or a crime or a sin one has committed. - verb proscribed  To 
clear (someone else) ofwrongdoing , especially by standing as anequivalent . 
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb turn away from sin or do penitence
 - verb make amends for
 
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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IV. vi.72 (412,4) can no more atone] To _atone_, in the active sense, is to _reconcile_, and is so used by our authour.
Notes to Shakespeare, Volume III: The Tragedies Samuel Johnson 1746
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Hate the sinners who won't atone translates to hate the liberals who won't agree.
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Trying to atone from a broken heart last year at Winged Foot and a left wrist injury he blamed on Oakmont's rough, Mickelson missed the cut for the first time in 31 majors dating to the 1999 British Open at Carnoustie.
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The original of the word atone, or make atonement, In the Hebrew scripture, carries no such idea of expiation.
The Vicarious Sacrifice, Grounded in Principles of Universal Obligation. 1802-1876 1871
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It leads into the headless heart: the belief that we should 'atone' by charity.
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And this, it may be added, is now the ordinary acceptance of the word; to "atone" is to give satisfactlon, or make amends, for an offense or an injury.
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 2: Assizes-Browne 1840-1916 1913
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The verb "atone", from the adverbial phrase "at one" (M.E. at oon), at first meant to reconcile, or make "at one"; from this it came to denote the action by which such reconciliation was effected, e.g. satisfaction for all offense or an injury.
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 2: Assizes-Browne 1840-1916 1913
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Blunt recently defended her decision to choose big budget blockbusters over independent movies, insisting she did not need to "atone" for her career choices.
Analysis 2010
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The Devil Wears Prada actress said she did not need to "atone" and justify the swap.
Gaea Times (by Simple Thoughts) Breaking News and incisive views 24/7 Ani 2010
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The Devil Wears Prada actress said she did not need to "atone" and justify the swap.
Gaea Times (by Simple Thoughts) Breaking News and incisive views 24/7 Bureau News 2010
 
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