To make amends for wrongdoing through punishment, suffering, or good deeds; to atone for guilt or sin. The process involves actively working to make up for past mistakes.
From Latin 'expiatus,' past participle of 'expiare' meaning 'to atone for,' combining 'ex-' (thoroughly) and 'pius' (devout, dutiful). Originally a religious term for ritual purification, it broadened to include any form of making amends.
Think 'ex-' (out) + 'pious' — you work your way out of guilt by being pious or doing good deeds. Like how community service can expiate the guilt of a minor crime.
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