Definition of RECONCILE (original) (raw)
1
a
: to restore to friendship or harmony
2
: to make consistent or congruous
reconcile an ideal with reality
3
: to cause to submit to or accept something unpleasant
was reconciled to hardship
4
a
: to check (a financial account) against another for accuracy
Did you know?
When faced with a kerfuffle, dustup, or other flavor of fracas, a conciliatory gesture or tone of voice—one intended to gain goodwill or to reduce hostility—can go a long way toward reconciling the squabbling parties. This makes not only common but etymological sense—both conciliatory and reconcile trace back to the Latin verb conciliare, meaning “to assemble, unite, or win over.” Reconcile can also be used when it’s facts, ideas, etc. that are being brought into agreement, and when financial accounts are checked against one another for accuracy. Reconcile is not all feel-good vibes, however. If you reconcile yourself to something unpleasant you come to accept it, as in “Even lexicographers must reconcile themselves to never knowing all the words.”
Synonyms
Choose the Right Synonym for reconcile
adapted themselves to the warmer climate
adjust suggests bringing into a close and exact correspondence or harmony such as exists between parts of a mechanism.
adjusted the budget to allow for inflation
accommodate may suggest yielding or compromising to effect a correspondence.
businesses accommodating themselves to the new political reality
conform applies to bringing into accordance with a pattern, example, or principle.
refused to conform to society's values
reconcile implies the demonstration of the underlying compatibility of things that seem to be incompatible.
tried to reconcile what he said with what I knew
Examples of reconcile in a Sentence
She and Eddie had separated and reconciled so many times the children had lost track of whose clothes were where. —
John Grisham, The Chamber, 1995 He thought they might reconcile the Parisians to his daring design by reminding them of the familiar arches of their bridges. —Mario Salvadori, Why Buildings Stand Up, 1990 By exposing the comic-pathetic quality of the human condition, it temporarily reconciles us to that condition without creating in us complacence, lethargy, or any negative emotion. —Clifton Fadiman, Center Magazine, January-February 1971 It is a function of architecture to reconcile technology with human cussedness, to make the mechanics of life endurable … —Russell Lynes, Harper's, October 1968
It can be difficult to reconcile your ideals with reality. historians have never been able to reconcile the two eyewitness accounts of the battle
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Everybody was on pins and needles waiting to see: Could this thing be reconciled? —Chris Willman, Variety, 10 Feb. 2025 Here’s why that’s dangerous But the annual revision is a routine review of the surveys that generate monthly employment data, which are then reconciled with estimates from other statistical sources that weren’t available when the numbers were first reported. —Bryan Mena, CNN, 7 Feb. 2025 God is reconciled us to Himself through His son Jesus Christ. —Rev. Mark G. McCalib, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2025 The couple reconciled during Mahler’s final New York season, in 1910-11. —Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for reconcile 
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French reconciler, from Latin reconciliare, from re- + conciliare to conciliate
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of reconcile was in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near reconcile
Cite this Entry
“Reconcile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reconcile. Accessed 14 Feb. 2025.
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Last Updated: 13 Feb 2025 - Updated example sentences
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