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View synonyms for

reconcile

[ rek-uhn-sahyl ]

verb (used with object)

reconciled, reconciling.
  1. to cause (a person) to accept or be resigned to something not desired:

    He was reconciled to his fate.

  2. to win over to friendliness; cause to become amicable:

    to reconcile hostile persons.

    Synonyms: , ,

  3. to compose or settle (a quarrel, dispute, etc.).

    Antonyms:

  4. to bring into agreement or harmony; make compatible or consistent:

    to reconcile differing statements;

    to reconcile accounts.

    Synonyms:

  5. to reconsecrate (a desecrated church, cemetery, etc.).
  6. to restore (an excommunicate or penitent) to communion in a church.


verb (used without object)

reconciled, reconciling.
  1. to become reconciled.

reconcile

/ ˈrɛkənˌsaɪl; -trɪ; ˌrɛkənˌsɪlɪˈeɪʃən; ˌrɛkənˈsɪlɪətərɪ /

verb

  1. often passiveusually foll byto to make (oneself or another) no longer opposed; cause to acquiesce in something unpleasant

    she reconciled herself to poverty

  2. to become friendly with (someone) after estrangement or to re-establish friendly relations between (two or more people)
  3. to settle (a quarrel or difference)
  4. to make (two apparently conflicting things) compatible or consistent with each other
  5. to reconsecrate (a desecrated church, etc)
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈ𳦴Dzˌ, noun
  • reconciliatory, adjective
  • ˈ𳦴Dzˌ𳾱Գ, noun
  • reconciliation, noun
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Other Word Forms

  • o·mԳ noun
  • o·e noun
  • o·iԲ· adverb
  • ·o· verb (used with object) prereconciled prereconciling
  • pre·o·mԳ noun
  • ܲȴ-o· adjective
  • ܲ·o· adjective
  • ܲ·o·iԲ adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of reconcile1

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English reconcilen, from Latin 𳦴DzԳ “to make good again, repair,” equivalent to re- re- + DzԳ “to bring together” ( conciliate )
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Word History and Origins

Origin of reconcile1

C14: from Latin 𳦴DzԳ to bring together again, from re- + DzԳ to make friendly, conciliate
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Rogers’ Mina and Wise’s Sade are so singularly and contrastingly themselves that it’s not clear how they will ever reconcile their versions of the past.

From

"I think this fight once it's over, there's a possibility that things may be able to reconcile or there's a possibility it will make our relationship even harder to rebuild," Eubank Jr says.

From

Nevertheless, as pope, Francis rehabilitated and reconciled with several liberation theologians once exiled by his predecessors and seemed to share the goal of orienting the church more towards serving the oppressed.

From

“The Wedding Banquet” was a romantic dramedy about family and love, and how difficult it can be to reconcile a breach between those two things when they are fundamentally linked.

From

It’s something that I think most people in medicine have a hard time reconciling with.

From

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More About Reconcile

doesreconcile mean?

Reconcile means to make amends, come to a truce, or settle a dispute.

Reconcile can also mean to make things compatible or consistent with each other. This sense of the word is especially used when discussing two things that cannot be reconciled, such as two contrasting beliefs.

Another sense of the word means to cause to accept a negative situation or become resigned to it, as in I am reconciled to my fate of never being able to afford my dream house.

The noun form of reconcile is reconciliation, which refers to the process of reconciling. It’s also the name of a Catholic sacrament involving the confession of sin.

Example: After years of not speaking to each other, the two finally sat down and reconciled.

Where doesreconcile come from?

The first records of the word reconcile come from the 1300s. It comes from the Latin 𳦴DzԳ, meaning “to make good again” or “to repair.”

To reconcile with someone is to repair a relationship that had been broken. It can happen between two people, such as former friends who had a falling-out. Or it can happen between groups, such as warring factions in a country. Reconciling is usually thought to create more than just a truce. When true reconciliation occurs, the two formerly hostile sides become respectful of each other—and, ideally, friends.

When you reconcile two things, you make them consistent. You can reconcile the numbers with a total amount. This sense of the word is often used in questions about how two seemingly contrasting things can be compatible, such as You said you support the plan but that it might not be the best choice—how do you reconcile those two statements?

Did you know ... ?

are some other forms related to reconcile?

are some synonyms for reconcile?

are some words that share a root or word element with reconcile?

are some words that often get used in discussing reconcile?

How isreconcile used in real life?

When it refers to making amends, reconcile is typically used in the context of two parties that have a serious, longstanding dispute. When it refers to making two things consistent, it’s often used in the discussion or two things that seem to be incompatible.

Try usingreconcile!

True or False?

Reconcile means the same thing as apologize.

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reconcilablereconciliate