Reconcile
/ˈrɛkənˌsaɪl/
Definitions
3 meaningsTo restore friendly relations between. To settle or resolve something.
/ˈrɛkənˌsaɪl/
To restore friendly relations; to settle a dispute.
It took years for the two countries to reconcile after the war.
💡 Simply: Imagine you and your friend had a big fight. To 'reconcile' means you talk things through and become friends again. It's like putting the pieces back together.
👶 For kids: To make up after a fight or disagreement.
More Examples
The mediator tried to reconcile the opposing parties.
After the disagreement, the couple decided to reconcile.
How It's Used
"The leaders met to reconcile the two factions after the conflict."
"After their argument, they decided to reconcile and start anew."
"The accountant reconciled the bank statements."
To make (two things) compatible or consistent.
/ˈrɛkənˌsaɪl/
To make one account, statement, or the like, consistent with another.
The accountant spent hours reconciling the two sets of figures.
💡 Simply: When you 'reconcile' accounts, it's like making sure your money math adds up! Like comparing your bank statement to your spending and making sure everything matches.
👶 For kids: To make sure things add up right, like checking if the numbers match.
More Examples
We need to reconcile the budget with the actual spending.
The bank reconciled our account with the transactions.
How It's Used
"The auditor needs to reconcile the bank statement with the company's records."
"She spent hours reconciling the discrepancies in the ledgers."
To bring into agreement or harmony; to make oneself accept something.
/ˈrɛkənˌsaɪl/
To cause someone to accept or be resigned to something not desired.
It was difficult, but he eventually reconciled himself to the reality of his situation.
💡 Simply: When you 'reconcile yourself' to something difficult, you finally accept it, even though you don't like it. It's like making peace with a hard truth.
👶 For kids: To finally accept something even if you don't want to.
More Examples
She couldn't reconcile herself to the idea of leaving her home.
They had to reconcile themselves with their situation.
How It's Used
"He struggled to reconcile himself to the loss of his pet."
"She needed time to reconcile herself to her new role."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
reconcile with
To make friendly again, to become friends with someone again after a disagreement.
"After a long silence, they finally reconciled with each other."
reconcile the books
To make the financial records agree with each other, to balance financial statements.
"The accountant needs to reconcile the books at the end of each month."
reconcile differences
To find a way to resolve disagreements and bring different views into agreement.
"The negotiators worked hard to reconcile their differences and reach a compromise."
From Old French *reconcilier*, from Latin *reconciliāre* ("to bring together again"), from *re-* ("again") + *conciliāre* ("to bring together").
The word 'reconcile' has been used since the 14th century to describe restoring harmony or agreement.
Memory tip
Think of re- (again) + conciliate (to win over or make friendly).
Word Origin
"to bring together"