Definition of "propitiation" [pro•pi•ti•a•tion]

• The act of propitiating. (noun)
• Something that propitiates, especially a conciliatory offering to a god. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Yet the word propitiation KJV, NASB, or “atoning sacrifice,” NIV is neither used quite so often nor understood quite as well."
• "In several translations the term propitiation is used of Christ's actions on behalf of the people of God."
• "Some modern students of the Bible don’t like the term propitiation because they say it implies pagan notions about fickle gods who need humoring and prefer instead the term expiation NRSV."