"Expiatorious" Meaning
Expiatorious: (adjective) Relating to or providing an expiation, which is a payment or sacrifice made to atone for a wrong or sin. In other words, it refers to something that purifies or redeems one from guilt or sin.
"Expiatorious" Examples
Expiatorious Examples
1. In a literary critique, the reviewer wrote:
'The author's efforts to justify the protagonist's questionable actions were expiatorious, attempting to shift the focus from the character's moral deficit to the harsh realities of the situation.'
2. A journalist reported:
'Despite the company's expiatorious gesture of donating to a charity, their recent business practices have been widely criticized for prioritizing profits over people.'
3. A philosopher mused:
'The concept of expiatorious punishment, whereby the guilty individual is made to suffer in order to atone for their sin, raises questions about the efficacy of retribution in achieving moral balance.'
4. In a biblical interpretation, a scholar noted:
'In the context of the ancient Hebrew scriptures, the use of expiatorious rituals and offerings was a means of restoring balance between humanity and the divine.'
5. A writer of fiction created a character who:
'Stood before the altar, his eyes downcast in shame, and asked the priest for the expiatorious rites of purification, hoping to wash away the stain of his past transgressions.'
These examples illustrate the word "expiatorious" in contexts such as literary analysis, journalism, philosophy, biblical studies, and fiction writing.