1 a : to make amends for permission to expiate their offences by their assiduous labours Francis Bacon b : to extinguish the guilt incurred by 2 obsolete : to put an end to intransitive verb : to …

v. ex·pi·at·ed, ex·pi·at·ing, ex·pi·ates. v.tr. To make amends or reparation for; atone for: 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 ).] ex′pi·a′tor n.

Meaning of expiate in English expiate verb [ T ] formal uk / ˈek.spi.eɪt / us / ˈek.spi.eɪt / to show that you are sorry for bad behaviour by doing something or accepting punishment: to expiate …

ex·pi·ate. (ĕk′spē-āt′) v. ex·pi·at·ed, ex·pi·at·ing, ex·pi·ates. v.tr. To make amends or reparation for; atone for: 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 ).]

Britannica Dictionary definition of EXPIATE. [+ object] formal. : to do something as a way to show that you are sorry about doing something bad. trying to find a way to expiate [= atone for] his guilt/sin.

expiate verb [ T ] formal us / ˈek.spi.eɪt / uk / ˈek.spi.eɪt / to show that you are sorry for bad behavior by doing something or accepting punishment: to expiate a crime / sin SMART …

Expiate means to make amends or atone for a wrong you or someone else has committed. After the incident on the hill, a mortified Jill expiated her guilt by buying Jack a brand new crown. The shiny new crown served as compensation, or expiation, for the broken one.