atone
to make amends or reparation for a wrong or injury that one has committed
Word origin: From Middle English at one, to be reconciled or set in harmony.
Atone in a sentence
Here are example sentences showing atone in a sentence.
He spent years trying to atone for the mistakes he had made in his youth.
He spent years volunteering in the community he had wronged, hoping in some measure to atone.
Using “atone” well
Atone means to make amends for a wrong, typically followed by for. It carries a connotation of moral or spiritual reparation, not mere apology.
More GRE words starting with A
to lower in rank, dignity, or self-respect
to make someone feel embarrassed or ashamed
to lessen in intensity or amount
to formally give up power or responsibility
departing from what is normal or expected
a departure from what is normal, usual, or expected
a state of temporary suspension or inactivity
to regard with strong disgust or hatred
Questions about “atone”
See these words the way the GRE tests them.
Definitions in isolation do not stick. Sit a free, full-length GRE mock and meet this vocabulary inside real text completion and sentence equivalence questions, with your score and a worked solution for every answer.