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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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