Redemption
Etymology
From Latin “redimere” (to buy back), from “re-” (back) plus “emere” (to buy, take). The original sense was commercial and legal: ransoming a captive or reclaiming a pledge. Theology reused the transaction as a metaphor for a debt of sin being paid off, and everyday English kept the literal core in “redeeming” a coupon or voucher.
noun · /rih-DEMP-shun/
The act of being bought back or delivered from sin, debt, or disgrace.
What it names
Recovery through a price paid — a handle for stories where someone is restored after a fall.
Example
The film’s whole arc is a redemption story: the thief spends the second half buying back what he cost everyone.
Related idea
Atonement repairs a broken relationship by making amends; redemption pays a price to reclaim what was lost or pledged.
noun · /rih-DEMP-shun/
The act of exchanging something for money or goods, or of paying off a debt or bond.
What it names
cashing in a voucher, coupon, or financial instrument.
Example
The coupon is valid for redemption until June.
Related idea
The literal “buying back” at the root of the spiritual sense — see grace.