Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1500-1600
Language: Latin
Origin: , past participle of expiare, from pius; PIOUS

expiate

 verb
     
ex‧pi‧ate [transitive]
formal to show you are sorry for something you have done wrong by accepting your punishment willingly, or trying to do something to improve what you did:
She expiated her crime by becoming a nun.
—expiation noun [uncountable]
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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