Reconciliation

noun

Frequency

Medium

CEFR Level

Neutral

Domain

Resolution

Definition

1. The process of making people friendly again after a conflict.
2. Making two opposing ideas or situations agree.
3. Comparing financial accounts to check they match.

Context Alive

The civil war had torn the country apart for over a decade. Families were divided, communities were destroyed, and trust had completely vanished. When the peace agreement was finally signed, the long road to reconciliation began. It would take years of honest conversation before the wounds started to heal.

Meanings

3 meanings

1 The Process of Making People Friendly Again After a Conflict (Noun) Very Common ▼

This meaning is about restoring a relationship or bringing people back together after a serious disagreement. Imagine a married couple who separated after months of arguments. After time apart, they start talking again, go to counselling, and slowly rebuild their trust. This process is reconciliation — the journey from conflict back to peace. You might hear “there’s been a reconciliation between the two families” or “the country’s reconciliation process has been slow but hopeful.” Or think about two political parties that have been fighting for years finally agreeing to work together for the good of the nation. The word suggests healing, forgiveness, and a willingness to move forward. ✏️ Common pairings include “national reconciliation,” “political reconciliation,” and “seek/achieve reconciliation” — especially in post-conflict contexts.

Vivid Example

Nobody thought the two neighbours would ever speak again after their bitter legal dispute. But a chance meeting at the local market led to an unexpected reconciliation. Within weeks, they were sharing tea in each other’s gardens like nothing had ever happened.

2 Making Two Opposing Ideas or Situations Agree (Noun) Common ▼

This meaning is about finding a way to bring conflicting things into harmony or making them work together. Imagine a company that wants to cut costs but also wants to keep all its employees. These two goals seem to clash, and the reconciliation of these competing priorities requires creative thinking. This is reconciliation in the intellectual sense — resolving contradictions. You might read “the reconciliation of tradition and modernity is one of the biggest challenges facing the region” or “there’s no easy reconciliation between these two theories.” Or think about a philosopher trying to find the reconciliation between free will and scientific determinism. The word suggests thoughtful effort to bring opposing forces together. ✏️ This meaning often appears in the pattern “the reconciliation of A and B” — showing two things being brought into balance.

Vivid Example

The new education policy aimed at the reconciliation of two very different visions for the future. One side wanted traditional academic rigour, the other wanted creative freedom. The final document was a careful compromise that gave both sides something to celebrate.

3 Comparing Financial Accounts to Check They Match (Noun) Specialized ▼

This meaning is about the process of checking financial records against each other to make sure everything adds up. Imagine an accountant at the end of every month pulling up the company’s records and comparing them with the bank’s records, transaction by transaction. This process is reconciliation — making sure the numbers on both sides match perfectly. You might hear “the bank reconciliation revealed a missing payment” or “monthly reconciliation is a standard part of our accounting process.” Or think about a business owner noticing that their sales figures don’t match their bank deposits and running a reconciliation to find the error. The word points to careful, systematic checking. ✏️ “Bank reconciliation” is the most common form — it’s a routine accounting task that almost every business performs regularly.

Vivid Example

At the end of each month, the finance department ran a full reconciliation of all accounts. Last month, a small discrepancy appeared in the travel expenses. It took two days to trace it back to a duplicate charge from a hotel booking.

Examples from the Street

“After years of silence, their reconciliation happened over a simple cup of coffee.”

After not speaking for years, they repaired their relationship during a quiet, ordinary moment together

“The country is still working towards reconciliation after decades of conflict.”

The nation is still trying to heal divisions and restore unity after a long period of fighting

“There’s no reconciliation between what he promised and what he delivered.”

There’s no way to make what he said match what he actually did

Common Patterns

reconciliation between (people/groups) → the restoration of a good relationship between opposing sides

reconciliation with someone → repairing a personal relationship after conflict

achieve/reach reconciliation → succeed in restoring peace or a positive relationship

attempt/seek reconciliation → try to repair a damaged connection

hope for/call for reconciliation → express a desire for healing and restored relations

a reconciliation process → a structured effort to heal divisions over time

national/political reconciliation → healing divisions within a country after conflict

truth and reconciliation → a formal process of acknowledging past wrongs to enable healing

racial/ethnic reconciliation → overcoming divisions between racial or ethnic groups

peace and reconciliation → restoring both calm and healthy relations after a period of violence

the road/path to reconciliation → the long, gradual journey towards healing

no reconciliation between (two things) → no way to make conflicting ideas or facts compatible

the reconciliation of (opposing views/demands) → bringing conflicting positions into agreement

bank/account reconciliation → the process of checking financial records match

monthly/annual reconciliation → regular checking that figures are correct and balanced

Collocations

3 collocations

national reconciliation

a country healing after internal conflict

process of reconciliation

the steps taken to restore harmony

reconciliation between

restoring a peaceful relationship between groups

Example Sentences

12 examples

Reconciliation between the two communities will take years of patient dialogue and mutual effort

Restoring a good relationship between the two groups will require a long period of careful conversation and shared commitment.

She’s been seeking reconciliation with her estranged father for months, but he refuses to meet

She’s been trying to repair the broken connection with her absent dad for some time, but he won’t agree to see her.

The peace agreement was an important first step, but true reconciliation is still a long way off

The deal to stop the fighting was a significant beginning, but genuine healing of the divisions is still far from complete.

South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission became a model for post-conflict healing around the world

The South African body set up to address past injustices became an example for nations recovering from violence across the globe.

After the divorce, nobody expected a reconciliation, but they remarried two years later

After the legal separation, no one anticipated they’d get back together, but they were husband and wife again within two years.

The prime minister called for national reconciliation after the deeply divisive election

The head of government urged the country to come together and heal after the vote that had sharply split the population.

There seems to be no reconciliation between the company’s environmental promises and its actual carbon emissions

There appears to be no way to make the business’s green pledges match its real levels of pollution.

The path to reconciliation is never easy — it requires honesty, humility, and a willingness to listen

The journey towards healing is always difficult — it demands truthfulness, modesty, and an openness to hearing the other side.

Religious leaders played a key role in achieving reconciliation after the civil war

Faith figures were central to restoring peace and unity following the internal armed conflict.

The finance team runs a monthly bank reconciliation to make sure all transactions are accounted for

The money department carries out a regular check every four weeks to confirm that all payments and receipts have been properly recorded.

Learner Examples

★

When two students fall out in class, the teacher’s role is often to guide them towards reconciliation rather than simply punishing both sides

When two pupils have a disagreement during lessons, the educator’s job is frequently to help them repair the relationship rather than just handing out penalties to each one.

★

Language learning itself can be an act of reconciliation — studying another culture’s language shows respect and builds bridges between communities

Acquiring a new language can itself be a way of healing divisions — learning how another group communicates demonstrates appreciation and creates connections between different peoples.