Expiare

Expiare is a verb primarily found in Latin texts, where it means to expiate, atone, or cleanse of guilt, often through ritual acts or penitence. In classical Latin the infinitive expīāre denotes the act of appeasing a deity or purifying sin. Outside of scholarly or historical contexts, the form expiare is rarely used in Latin and is typically considered archaic or literary.

In modern Romance languages, the concept survives through different spellings and verbs. In Italian, the common modern form is espiare, meaning to expiate or make amends; expiare is not standard in contemporary Italian and would generally be viewed as obsolete or incorrect. In other Romance languages, cognate verbs exist with their own regular forms, reflecting the same semantic core of atoning for wrongdoing or guilt.

In religious, legal, and moral discussion, expiation refers to the process or result of expiating wrongdoing—often involving rites, restitution, or acts of penance. The Latin noun expiatio and the related English term expiation are cognates, connected to the broader idea of purification from guilt.

Overall, expiare is primarily of historical or linguistic interest. For everyday use, speakers of Italian would use espiare, while English and other languages typically employ expiate (verb) and expiation (noun) to express the same idea of atonement and cleansing from sin or fault.