Vocabulary
Reconciliation: meanings and examples
Sign in to saveAfter a long argument, two friends may want to speak again. At work, a finance team may compare two sets of figures. Both situations can involve reconciliation, but the clues tell you which meaning is intended.
Choose the right use of reconciliation from scene clues and say the word with its strong beat.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
reconciliation /ˌrek.ənˌsɪl.iˈeɪ.ʃən/
The short answer
Reconciliation means restoring a friendly relationship after conflict, making ideas consistent, or checking records so that their totals agree.
The sisters met for a quiet reconciliation after several years apart.
Why it works: Here reconciliation is the process of repairing a damaged relationship.
3 more examples
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Their reconciliation began when both friends listened without interrupting.
The word refers to a repaired relationship after a conflict.
Not this:
Their reunionbegan when both friends listened without interrupting. What changes: A reunion means meeting again. It does not necessarily mean that a conflict has been resolved. -
The accountant completed the bank reconciliation before closing the month.
The accountant compares the business records with the bank statement and checks differences.
Not this:The accountant completed the
bank calculationbefore closing the month. What changes: Calculation is too broad. Reconciliation names the comparison of records and the checking of differences. -
The committee asked for a reconciliation of the two reports before making a decision.
The reports seem to disagree, so the committee wants an explanation that makes their information fit.
Not this:The committee asked for
a summary of the two reportsbefore making a decision. What changes: A summary shortens information. A reconciliation deals with an apparent difference between sources.
Read the full guide
Read the nouns around reconciliation. People, families, and communities point to peace after conflict. Accounts, statements, and transactions point to finance. Facts, reports, and theories often point to ideas that need to fit together.
Start with the conflict
When people have argued, reconciliation means moving back toward peace. It may follow an apology, a difficult talk, or a long period apart. The word focuses on repairing the relationship.
The neighbors hoped for reconciliation after their disagreement about the fence.
Find the accounting meaning
In finance, reconciliation is a careful comparison. A business may compare its own cash record with a bank statement. If a payment appears in only one place, the team investigates the difference.
The finance officer found a missing payment during the monthly reconciliation.
Use it for ideas that do not match
Reconciliation can also concern information. If two reports give different dates, someone may reconcile the reports by finding why they differ. This sense appears in research, law, and business writing.
Her note offered a reconciliation of the figures in the two reports.
Choose the usual word partners
You can speak of reconciliation between former rivals or reconciliation with a family member. In finance, bank reconciliation and account reconciliation are common phrases. The setting gives the noun its direction.
Reconciliation with a friend concerns a relationship. Reconciliation of accounts concerns records.
Say the word clearly
Reconciliation has several syllables, so take it in parts: re-con-cil-i-AY-tion. Keep the strongest stress on AY. In quick speech, the middle syllables are lighter, but the final stressed part stays clear.
A manager compares the company ledger with the bank statement. Which sense does reconciliation have?
It has the accounting sense because the manager is comparing financial records.
Before you go
Remember this
Use reconciliation for peace after conflict, records that have been checked against each other, or ideas that have been made consistent. Let the nearby words guide you to the intended sense.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
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Try the written questionsQuestions about "Reconciliation: meanings and examples"
What does reconciliation mean?
Reconciliation can mean repairing a relationship after conflict, making ideas agree, or checking records so that their figures match. The words around it usually show which meaning is intended.
Their reconciliation began when both friends listened without interrupting.
What is reconciliation in a relationship?
In a relationship, reconciliation is the process of returning to a peaceful connection after an argument, a separation, or another conflict. It often involves a change in how the people relate to each other.
Their reunion began when both friends listened without interrupting.
What is a bank reconciliation?
A bank reconciliation compares a business's own financial record with its bank statement. It helps the business find missing entries, timing differences, or mistakes that need an explanation.
The accountant completed the bank reconciliation before closing the month.
What is the difference between reconciliation and reunion?
A reunion is a meeting after people have been apart. Reconciliation includes the idea of resolving conflict or rebuilding a damaged relationship, so a reunion does not always involve reconciliation.
The accountant completed the bank calculation before closing the month.
How do you pronounce reconciliation?
Say re-con-cil-i-AY-tion. The strongest stress falls on the AY sound near the end of the word, before the final tion sound.
The committee asked for a reconciliation of the two reports before making a decision.