Atonement
Etymology
A rare native English coinage: built from the phrase “at one” plus “-ment,” so it literally means “at-one-ment,” the state of being made one again. It was popularized in the 16th century (notably in William Tyndale’s Bible translation) to render “reconciliation.” The religious sense of repairing the rift between humanity and God later broadened to any serious making of amends.
noun · /uh-TOHN-munt/
The making of amends that restores a broken relationship, especially with the divine.
What it names
Reconciliation through repair — the bridge back after a wrong, not just an apology.
Example
His years of quiet care for his brother’s children were a kind of atonement he never named aloud.
Related idea
Repentance is the inner turning away from a wrong; atonement is the outward repair that follows and restores the bond.