Definition

1. Noun:
   • The act of atoning for sin or wrongdoing: "Expiation" refers to the action of making amends or reparation for guilt or wrongdoing, often with a specific focus on appeasing a divine power or moral authority.
   • Compensation for a wrong: It can also mean the act of offering compensation or satisfaction for an offense or injury caused to another.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The ritual was performed as an expiation for the community's sins. (The ceremony was done to atone for the wrongs committed by the group.)
  • He viewed his charitable work as a form of expiation for his past mistakes. (He considered his philanthropy to be a way of making amends for his previous errors.)

Advanced Usage

• "To make expiation for": to perform an act to atone for something.
  • The leader sought to make expiation for the betrayal. (The leader tried to atone for the act of disloyalty.)
• In a theological context: "Expiation" often specifically denotes the removal of sin or guilt through a sacrificial offering, addressing the cause of divine displeasure.
  • Doctrines of expiation are central to many religious traditions. (Teachings about atoning for sin are fundamental to numerous faiths.)

Variants and Related Words

• Expiate (verb): to atone for; to make amends or reparation for.
  • He wished to expiate his crime. (He desired to atone for his offense.)
• Expiatory (adjective): having the nature of expiation; intended to atone.
  • They performed an expiatory rite. (They carried out a ritual intended for atonement.)

Synonyms

• Atonement: The action of making amends for a wrong or sin. (Often used interchangeably, though "atonement" can have a broader sense of reconciliation.)
• Penance: Punishment or self-punishment inflicted for wrongdoing, especially in a religious context.
• Reparation: The making of amends for a wrong one has done.

Related Phrases

• "An act of expiation": A deed done to atone for wrongdoing.
  • His confession was a sincere act of expiation. (His admission of guilt was a genuine deed of atonement.)

Notes on Meaning

• The term "expiation" strongly emphasizes the action or process of removing guilt or sin, often through a specific, formal, or ritualized act. It is more focused on the act of appeasement or cleansing than on the subsequent state of reconciliation, which is sometimes more associated with "propitiation." In modern usage, it is a formal word, common in religious, moral, and literary contexts.

Noun

1. the act of atoning for sin or wrongdoing (especially appeasing a deity)
2. compensation for a wrong
   • we were unable to get satisfaction from the local store