reparation
Reparation (noun) means Payment or other compensation made to people who have been wronged, especially by a state to a group it has harmed. Usually plural: reparations. Example: “Campaigners have long demanded reparations for slavery.”
How to use reparation
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMoney or action given to make up for a serious wrong.
Formal, and strongly associated with historical and political injustice — slavery, colonisation, war. The plural reparations is far more common than the singular.
Reparation and repair share a root: both are about putting something back to rights.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Campaigners have long demanded _____ for slavery.
Etymology
Via Old French from Late Latin reparatio, from reparare 'to repair, restore'.
Related words
Rhymes for reparation
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between reparations and restitution?
Restitution means giving back the specific thing that was taken — land, property, artefacts. Reparations is broader: it covers compensation for harm that cannot simply be handed back, such as lives lost or generations of lost opportunity, and is typically paid in money or programmes.
Are reparations always money?
No. Reparations packages can include formal apologies, land transfers, education and health funding, memorials and citizenship rights. Cash payments are the most discussed form but not the only one.
What is the difference between reparation and preparation?
They are unrelated. Reparation is making up for a wrong; preparation is getting ready for something. The similar spelling is a common typo.
What is the meaning of reparation?
"reparation" (noun) means payment or other compensation made to people who have been wronged, especially by a state to a group it has harmed. Usually plural: reparations.