reconcile to vs. reconcile with (2024)

Hello everybody. I was wondering if there was a rule as to when the verb "reconcile" should be followed by "to" & when it should be followed by "with." It seems both are used, but is there a rule. In the below sentence which would be more appropriate/correct? Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Syria, for example, never reconciled to/with the French decision to carve out Lebanon and had maintained an embassy in Beirut.

No, I do not believe that "reconcile" is ever followed by "to". In the example above I think you should use "with".

Hope that helps!

I would use the "with" form when talking about reconciliation between two entities.
Paul was reconciled with John after a misunderstanding was explained.
Germany was reconciled with England after the Second World War.
(I see the "with" as implying that there was a mutual involvement in the reconciliation.)

But, I would use the "to" format to cover reconciliation to an idea...
Syria, for example, was never reconciled to the French decision to carve out Lebabon and had maintained an embassy in Beirut
Tony eventually became reconciled to Mary's decision to sell her car, even though he now had to walk to work every day.
(I see this form as implying that the reconciliation was purely one-sided.)

It seems to me that if you use reconcile passively then you use to. For example, I was reconciled to failure. And, so to, if you use a reflexive pronoun as in I reconciled myself to failure.

If used actively, you use with as in I want you to reconcile your figures with the books or how do we reconcile your story with the facts?

I would say I am reconciled to cleaning the sink.

I reconcile to clean the sink seems like I resolve to clean the sink.

Here is a suggestion to supplement river's hypothesis, based on bartonig's proposition.

We seem to have a feeling that reconciliation needs two parties.
If I am reconciled to cleaning the sink every week for a year, then I am in fact reconciled (with myself) to do this.

Back to Syria?
Syria, for example, never reconciled herself to the French decision to carve out Lebanon and had maintained an embassy in Beirut.
Syria, for example, had never been reconciled to the French decision to carve out Lebanon and had maintained an embassy in Beirut.

Hmm, I'm quite confused now.

bartonig said:

I reconcile to clean the sink seems like I resolve to clean the sink.

Click to expand...

That is pretty much how it's meant as-written.

River's rule is pretty sound.

Hi everybody!

I happen to have the sam eproblem, but applied to translation. My sentence is: "Adj(ustments) to reconcile to net cash". (Translation into Spanish)
Thank you in advance!

"Reconcile to/unto" a person seems to be an older form that is losing out to "reconcile with" a person. In the Bible, there are many examples: "First be reconciled to thy brother" (Matthew 5:24) or "...that he might reconcile both unto God" (Ephesians 2:16). These examples are from the 1610 King James Version, but newer translations have general kept "reconciled to," only dropping the archaic "unto."

According to the Google Books Corpus (http://googlebooks.byu.edu/) "reconciled to" reached its peak in the 1850's with 8,983 uses and declined to 4,573 uses in the 2000's, whereas in the 1850's "reconciled with" had 2,737 hits compared with 8,465 in the 2000's. Admittedly, this comparison is without nuance and doesn't address the person vs. situation question, but maybe this is helpful.

Hello everyone - how about in this example? "Let us assist humans with finding their bearings in a world changed by the unprecedented event of totalitarianism and in enable them to reconcile themselves

this world."

My gut says "with". But I'm really not sure...

Thank you!

See post #3.

If you want humans to be at peace with others in the world, then I suggest '... reconcile themselves with this world.'

If you want humans to accept that this world is what it is and accept that they cannot change it, then perhaps '... reconcile themselves to this world.'

maxiogee said:

I would use the "with" form when talking about reconciliation between two entities.
Paul was reconciled with John after a misunderstanding was explained.
Germany was reconciled with England after the Second World War.

Click to expand...

Would this be different?
Paul was reconciled with John after a misunderstanding was explained.
or
Paul and John reconciled with each other after a misunderstanding was explained.