expiate

v., -at·ed, -at·ing, -ates.

v.tr.
To make amends or reparation for; atone: expiate one's sins by acts of penance.

v.intr.
To make amends; atone.

[Latin expiāre, expiāt- : ex-, intensive pref.; see ex- + piāre, to atone (from pius, devout).]

expiator ex'pi·a'tor n.

To make amends or reparation for.

Lots of Alt Clicks on expiate, thanks to the following sentence in this New York Times piece on the nomination of Paul Wolfowitz for president of the World Bank. "McNamara took the job to expiate, and Wolfowitz is taking the job to vindicate."

Link: Wolfowitz Nod Follows Spread of Conservative Philosophy

See our Word Overheard blog to see interesting uses of strange words.

IN BRIEF: To make satisfaction or amends for.

The driver will expiate the ticket by paying the full fine.

Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The verb has one meaning:

Meaning #1: make amends for
  Synonyms: aby, abye, atone

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Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - sone, bøde for
v. intr. - sone

Nederlands (Dutch)
boeten, goed maken

Français (French)
v. tr. - expier
v. intr. - expier

Deutsch (German)
v. - sühnen

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - εξιλεώνω/-ομαι (για), ξεπληρώνω (σφάλμα κ.λπ.)

Italiano (Italian)
espiare

Português (Portuguese)
v. - redimir, cumprir pena, reparar

Русский (Russian)
искупить

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - expiar, purgar
v. intr. - expiar, purgar

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - sona, få plikta för

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
补偿, 赎, 赎罪

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 補償, 贖
v. intr. - 贖罪

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - 속죄하다
v. intr. - 속죄하다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 償う, 対する罰金を払う

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يكفر عن‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮כיפר על, נענש על‬
v. intr. - ‮כיפר, נענש‬

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