A.Word.A.Day --atone

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atone

PRONUNCIATION:

(uh-TOHN, rhymes with phone)

MEANING:

verb tr., intr.: To make amends for.

ETYMOLOGY:

From the contraction of the phrase "at one" meaning "to be in harmony".

USAGE:

"While society must be protected from those who might pose it a threat, it is vital we let people get on with their lives once they have atoned."
Éamonn Mac Aodha; Minor Offenders Need More Help to Escape Spectre of Past Crime; The Irish Times (Dublin); Apr 28, 2009.

See more usage examples of atone in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

Whoe'er excels in what we prize / Appears a hero in our eyes. -Jonathan Swift, satirist (1667-1745)

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