Redemption

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɹɪˈdɛmpʃən/

Definitions

1. The act of delivering from sin, error, or evil ; the process of reclaiming something by paying a debt or fulfilling an obligation
2. Saving or rescuing someone from wrongdoing or a negative situation ; regaining possession or ownership of property by satisfying conditions or payment
3. Liberation from guilt or fault through correction or forgiveness ; the restoration of something lost or pledged through payment or action

Etymology: "Redemption" is a case where the older English word vanished. Before the Norman-French influence reshaped the vocabulary, English speakers talked about delivering someone from captivity with words like "ālīesung," built from Old English roots meaning roughly "a letting loose." That native term was pushed aside by the Old French "redemption," which came into English through Middle English as "redempcioun." The French word traces back to Latin "redemptio," from "redimere," literally "to buy back." The Latin verb combined "re-," meaning back or again, with "emere," to buy or take. So at its core, redemption describes purchasing something back, most commonly a captive set free for a price, or a pledge reclaimed by paying what was owed. Its theological sense grew from that commercial image. Ransoming prisoners of war was a familiar practice, and early Christian writers used the idea of paying a price to free humanity from sin. The moral and spiritual meaning of the word therefore grew directly out of a transaction, which is why the same term can describe both reclaiming a pawned object and being delivered from evil.

Synonyms: salvation, recovery, rescue

Antonyms: condemnation, loss