sovitus

Sovitus is a Finnish noun meaning reconciliation, settlement, or adjustment. It covers both interpersonal reconciliation—bringing conflicting parties to an agreement—and the act of compensating or settling claims in legal or financial contexts. In religious discourse, sovitus commonly corresponds to the concept of atonement, the process by which humanity is reconciled with God, most often through Christ, and is a central term in Finnish Christian theology.

The word stems from the verb sovita, meaning “to reconcile” or “to settle,” and is related to forms such as sovinto, which denotes harmony or agreement. In everyday language, sovitus can refer to making peace after a dispute, for example through apology, forgiveness, or negotiation. In commerce or law, it can designate a negotiated settlement that ends a dispute without further litigation, as in sovintosopimus (settlement agreement).

In theology, sovitus is used to translate terms like atonement and reconciliation found in Christian doctrine, and it appears in Finnish biblical translations and liturgy. Some discussions distinguish between personal forgiveness and cosmic reconciliation, but both concepts are encompassed by sovitus in Finnish usage.

Related terms include sovinto (reconciliation/harmony) and sovitusoppi (the doctrine of atonement).