the act or process of making amends - (usually plural)
compensation exacted as an indemnity from a defeated nation by the victors: esp the compensation demanded of Germany by the Treaty of Versailles after World War I the act or process of repairing or state of having been repaired
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
rep•a•ra•tion /ˌrɛpəˈreɪʃən/USA pronunciation
n.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- [uncountable] the act of repaying or of making up for losses, wrong acts, or injuries.
- GovernmentUsually, reparations. [plural] the money or other payment made by a defeated nation to the victor for loss suffered during war.
rep•a•ra•tion
(rep′ə rā′shən),USA pronunciation n.
- the making of amends for wrong or injury done:reparation for an injustice.
- GovernmentUsually, reparations. compensation in money, material, labor, etc., payable by a defeated country to another country or to an individual for loss suffered during or as a result of war.
- restoration to good condition.
- Businessrepair1 (def. 7).
- Late Latin reparātiōn- (stem of reparātiō), equivalent. to Latin reparāt(us) (past participle of reparāre to repair1; see -ate1) + -iōn- -ion
- Middle French
- Middle English reparacion 1350–1400
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged indemnification, atonement, satisfaction, compensation. See redress.
- 3.See corresponding entry in Unabridged renewal, renovation; repair.
- 3.See corresponding entry in Unabridged destruction.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'reparatory' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):