expiate
/ˈɛk.spi.eɪt/
"expiate" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“expiate” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To atone or make reparation for.
Corpus desk
Index EN-expiate · expiate · English
expiate · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 7 letters
- VOW-4 4 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "E" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | expiate |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ˈɛk.spi.eɪt/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “expiate” in English
Rare enough to double-check
expiate is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈɛk.spi.eɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.
Zero misspellings are on record for expiate in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin expiātus, past participle of expiō (“atone for”). The correct English form is expiate, spelled E-X-P-I-A-T-E.
Definition
- 1To atone or make reparation for.
- 2To make amends or pay the penalty for.
- 3To relieve or cleanse of guilt.
- 4To purify with sacred rites.
- 5To wind up, bring to an end.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how expiate appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
The Treasurer obliged himself to expiate the injury.
At laſt, he diſtinctly pronounced theſe three words, LET THIS EXPIATE! And then, his head ſinking on his pillow, he expired; […]
Etymology
From Latin expiātus, past participle of expiō (“atone for”).
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.