atonement
Reconciliation through penance
Atonement is the act of making amends for wrongdoing or sin.
The word carries religious weight—in Christian theology, Christ's atonement reconciles humanity with God through sacrifice.
More broadly, atonement is any effort to repair a wrong: He spent years in atonement for his betrayal.
The Jewish Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) is devoted to repentance and reconciliation.
Spiritual cause and effect
- repentanceRemorseful rejection of past wrongs
- purificationRemoval of contaminants
- holinessSacred spiritual purity
- purityUncontaminated quality
devotion · prayer · piety · grace · confession · absolution · sin · soul
Something presented or given
- lambJuvenile sheep
- scapegoatUnfairly blamed person
- oblationReligious gift offering
- immolationSacrificial killing, often burning
victim · ritual · altar · propitiation · expiation · blood · libation · hecatomb
Formal clearing of guilt
- pardonOfficial release from punishment
- mercyCompassion toward offenders
- graceEffortless beauty of motion
- clemencyMerciful treatment of offenders
remission · exoneration · amnesty · compassion · condonation · leniency · indulgence · acquittal
Guilt for wrongdoing
- contritionRemorseful state over misdeeds
- shamePainful awareness of failure
- regretSorrow over past actions
- self-reproachBlaming oneself for wrongdoing
culpability · blame · self-condemnation · compunction · confession · self-punishment · disgrace · dishonor
Deliverance from harm
- deliveranceRescue from bondage
- liberationRelease from constraint
- rescueSave from harm
- emancipationRelease from legal bondage
ransom · vindication · freedom · cleansing · saving · restoration · rebirth · transformation
Admission of wrongdoing
- contritionRemorseful state over misdeeds
- fastingDeliberate food avoidance
- flagellationBeating with a whip
- self-mortificationVoluntary bodily punishment for penance
discipline · hairshirt · lent · self-denial · self-abasement · prostration · sackcloth · ashes
Payment for services rendered
- indemnityProtection against financial loss
- restitutionRestoring what was lost
- amendsCompensation for wrongdoing
- damagesCompensation for injury
rectification · remedy · recompense · settlement · payment · reimbursement · satisfaction · recoupment
Freedom from disturbance
- harmonyAgreement or musical blend
- accordHarmony between parties
- amendsCompensation for wrongdoing
- resolutionFormal decision or determination
settlement · rapprochement · conciliation · mediation · dialogue · compromise · bridge-building · healing
karma
Spiritual cause and effect
- repentanceRemorseful rejection of past wrongs
- purificationRemoval of contaminants
- holinessSacred spiritual purity
purity · devotion · prayer · piety · grace · confession · absolution · sin · soul · penitent
offering
Something presented or given
immolation · victim · ritual · altar · propitiation · expiation · blood · libation · hecatomb · substitution
absolution
Formal clearing of guilt
- pardonOfficial release from punishment
- mercyCompassion toward offenders
- graceEffortless beauty of motion
clemency · remission · exoneration · amnesty · compassion · condonation · leniency · indulgence · acquittal · discharge
remorse
Guilt for wrongdoing
- contritionRemorseful state over misdeeds
- shamePainful awareness of failure
- regretSorrow over past actions
self-reproach · culpability · blame · self-condemnation · compunction · confession · self-punishment · disgrace · dishonor · responsibility
salvation
Deliverance from harm
- deliveranceRescue from bondage
- liberationRelease from constraint
- rescueSave from harm
emancipation · ransom · vindication · freedom · cleansing · saving · restoration · rebirth · transformation · second-chance
confession
Admission of wrongdoing
- contritionRemorseful state over misdeeds
- fastingDeliberate food avoidance
- flagellationBeating with a whip
self-mortification · discipline · hairshirt · lent · self-denial · self-abasement · prostration · sackcloth · ashes · pilgrimage
compensation
Payment for services rendered
- indemnityProtection against financial loss
- restitutionRestoring what was lost
- amendsCompensation for wrongdoing
damages · rectification · remedy · recompense · settlement · payment · reimbursement · satisfaction · recoupment · redress
peace
Freedom from disturbance
resolution · settlement · rapprochement · conciliation · mediation · dialogue · compromise · bridge-building · healing · restoration
- forgivenessforgiveness of sins, redemption, absolve, mercy, grace
- Making amendsamends, apology, compensation, penance, reconciliation
- Making Peaceapology, compromise, forgiveness, truce, peace talks
- reconciliationreconciliation, reconcile, reconciled, reconciling, making up
- story themeshero, love, villain, quest, journey
- reconciliation in literatureforgiveness, redemption, healing, closure, amends
atonementtransgression
Violation of law or code
sin · offense · wrongdoing · violation · injury
atonementdefiance
Open resistance to authority
impenitence · unrepentance · shamelessness · denial · evasion
atonementestrangement
Emotional separation between people
alienation · rupture · condemnation · unforgiveness · vendetta
- Day of AtonementSolemn Jewish repentance observance
- atonement theologyDoctrine of reconciliation with God