Atone

Pronunciation: /əˈtoʊn/

Definitions of atone

verb to make amends or reparation for a wrongdoing or injury

Example Sentences

A1 I apologized to my friend to atone for my mistake.

A2 She tried to atone for her past actions by volunteering at the local shelter.

B1 The criminal wanted to atone for his crimes by doing community service.

B2 He spent years trying to atone for his reckless behavior by helping others.

C1 The politician made a public statement to atone for his controversial remarks.

C2 She dedicated her life to atoning for the harm she had caused in her youth.

Examples of atone in a Sentence

formal He sought to atone for his mistakes by making amends to those he had wronged.

informal She's trying to atone for missing the deadline by working extra hours to catch up.

slang I know I messed up, but I'm gonna atone for it by throwing a killer party.

figurative The artist used bold colors to atone for the lack of detail in the background of the painting.

Grammatical Forms of atone

• past tense: atoned
• plural: atones
• comparative: more atone
• superlative: most atone
• present tense: atones
• future tense: will atone
• perfect tense: have atoned
• continuous tense: is atoning
• singular: atone
• positive degree: atone
• infinitive: to atone
• gerund: atoning
• participle: atoned

Origin and Evolution of atone

First Known Use: 1513 year

Language of Origin: Middle English

Story behind the word: The word 'atone' originated from the combination of the Middle English phrase 'at on' which means 'at one' or 'in harmony'.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'atone' evolved to mean making amends or reconciliation for a wrongdoing or sin, shifting from the idea of being in harmony to the act of making things right.