espiazione
atonement
noun ehs-pyah-TSYOH-neh Rare
Origin: from Latin expiatio, 'purification through sacrifice' (ex- + piare, to appease)
Also means
expiation
Usage Note
Espiazione refers to making amends for a sin or crime, through suffering, punishment, or ritual. It appears in both religious contexts (espiazione dei peccati, atonement for sins) and legal ones (scontare una pena come espiazione, to serve a sentence as expiation). The verb is espiare.
Examples
"La preghiera era per lui un atto di espiazione."
Natural Translation
Prayer was for him an act of atonement.

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