Atone

to make amends or reparation, as for an offense or a crime, or for an offender (usually followed by for):
to atone for one’s sins.
to make up, as for errors or deficiencies (usually followed by for):
to atone for one’s failings.
obsolete. to become reconciled; agree.
to make amends for; expiate:
he atoned his sins.
obsolete. to bring into unity, harmony, concord, etc.
contemporary examples

heracles goes on his twelve labours, not to better mankind, but to achieve immortality and atone for his own sins.
the walking dead’s luke skywalker: rick grimes is the perfect modern-day mythical hero regina lizik october 27, 2014

melissa holbrook pierson on a new book that chronicles the strange ways we try to atone for the havoc humans wreak.
why do we save some species and let others get devastated? melissa holbrook pierson may 20, 2013

we all have a collective responsibility to atone for the actions of the u.s. and israel in the coming weeks.
jews and non-jews need to repent for the sins of the u.s. and israel rabbi michael lerner september 23, 2014

these “outsiders” are being invited to atone for their sins by leaving the new state.
india’s newest state telangana is bosnia redux kranti rai march 21, 2014

you must atone, apologize, and beg forgiveness for the thousands of lgbt lives you have taken.
do lgbts owe christians an olive branch? try the other way around jay michaelson december 13, 2014

historical examples

have you not spent a lifetime of regret to atone for a moment of folly?
cape of storms percival pollard

torquemada could not have done better; but khalid, it is hoped, will yet atone for his crimes.
the book of khalid ameen rihani

did he think that a few halting words could atone for his cruelty, could dispel the evil he had wrought?
the peace of roaring river george van schaick

if he had erred, let him at least atone for his error with his blood!
the downfall emile zola

that it is a “holy” city, and that a pilgrimage to its shrine is supposed to atone for sin, are its great interests.
journeys in persia and kurdistan, volume i (of 2) isabella l. bird

verb
(intransitive) foll by for. to make amends or reparation (for a crime, sin, etc)
(transitive) to expiate: to atone a guilt with repentance
(obsolete) to be in or bring into agreement
v.

1550s, from adverbial phrase atonen (c.1300) “in accord,” literally “at one,” a contraction of at and one. it retains the older pr-nunciation of one. the phrase perhaps is modeled on latin adunare “unite,” from ad- “to, at” (see ad-) + unum “one.” related: atoned; atoning.