atone

From atone (“reconciled”), from Middle English atone, attone, atoon (“agreed”, literally “at one”), equivalent to at +‎ one. Compare Latin adūnō (“I unite, make one”) for the similar formation. Regarding the different phonological development of atone and one, see the note in one.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /əˈtəʊn/
• (US) IPA^(key): /əˈtoʊn/, [əˈtʰoʊ̯n]

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊn

atone (third-person singular simple present atones, present participle atoning, simple past and past participle atoned)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To make reparation, compensation, amends or satisfaction for an offence, crime, mistake or deficiency. [from 1680s]

   Synonyms: expiate, propitiate

2. (obsolete, transitive) To bring at one or at concordance; to reconcile; to suffer appeasement. [from 1570s]
3. (obsolete, intransitive) To agree or accord; to be in accordance or harmony. [from 1590s]
4. (obsolete, transitive) To unite in making.
5. (proscribed) To absolve (someone else) of wrongdoing, especially by standing as an equivalent.

• Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “atone”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
• “atone”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “atone”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.

• Eaton, Onate, neato, oaten

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ἄτονος (átonos).

• IPA^(key): /a.tɔn/

• Audio

  (file)

atone (plural atones)

1. expressionless
2. (linguistics) unstressed
3. (linguistics) mute

• “atone”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

atone f pl

1. feminine plural of atono

• Anteo, aneto, etano