What does atoneable mean?
Atoneable is a rare English adjective describing something — typically a sin, offense, or wrong — that can be atoned for; that is, it admits of expiation, reparation, or sincere amends. It derives from the verb "atone," which itself grew out of the older phrase "at one," meaning to bring estranged parties back into unity or reconciliation. To call an act atoneable is therefore to insist that it lies within the reach of forgiveness and repair, however serious it may be. The word carries a moral, often religious connotation, appearing most naturally in discussions of guilt, penance, and redemption, as in the claim that a repentant offender's transgression was atoneable through honest restitution. Its opposite, "unatonable," describes a wrong so grave that no act of contrition can set it right. Though uncommon in modern speech, atoneable offers writers a precise, evocative term for the hopeful conviction that no failing is beyond remedy.
adjectiveCapable of being atoned for; able to be expiated or made amends for. Used chiefly of wrongs, sins, or offenses.
- (Of a wrongdoing, sin, or offense) capable of being expiated or made amends for.
"The minister assured the repentant sinner that even his gravest failings were atoneable through honest penance."
"The elder ruled that the young man's trespass was atoneable if he offered restitution before winter."
"She believed no failure was truly final — every mistake was atoneable with time and sincerity."
Born from the medieval phrase "at one" — to make two estranged parties one again — "atoneable" describes a wrong that can still be healed.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of atoneable
Atoneable is formed from the verb "atone" plus the adjectival suffix "-able." "Atone" originated in early modern English from the adverbial phrase "at one," meaning in agreement or concord, reflecting the idea of reconciling parties who had been set against each other. The adjective thus literally suggests something that can be brought "at one" again through expiation or amends. It shares its root with "atonement," the noun for the act of making reparation, and with the rarer negative form "unatonable."
Related word forms
How atoneable is actually used
A rare and somewhat literary word, found mostly in religious, moral, or legal-historical writing rather than everyday speech. The more common negative form "unatonable" appears in comparable contexts.
Easily confused with atoneable
"Attainable" means achievable or reachable (from "attain"), while "atoneable" means capable of being made amends for (from "atone").