What Does the Word Reconcile Mean?

The appropriate definition of reconcile depends on the context in which it is used. In terms of banking, you reconcile your checkbook when you make sure your balance matches the balance that the bank has on file.  In social situations, you reconcile after a fight when both sides agree to make up and move on.  In academia, multiple researchers can reconcile their data to find a way to make it work together.

When reconcile is used on a daily basis, the most common answer to the question of what does the word reconcile mean is that two parties have come back together after being divided. The word is commonly used when a family feud occurs. For example, if a mother and daughter have a bitter fight over who the daughter plans to marry, the two may not speak for a long period of time. Eventually, when one forgives the other, they are said to reconcile and the family feud ends.

Reconcile in Business

So, what does the word reconcile mean when the term is used in a business or accounting context. In business or when doing accounting, reconcile means to make different accounts line up appropriately.

For example, many individuals will keep a personal checkbook and may also have statements from their bank that are sent in the mail and also may have access to online bank statements.

When a person reconciles his accounts, he compares the data and information on each of these three sources in order to make sure everything matches up appropriately. In this context, the things being reconciled or brought together, are the numbers from the different account statements.

Reconcile in Academics and Research

The word reconcile can have yet a different meaning when used in the context of research or academics. Multiple different sources or people may be researching the same subject and may come to different conclusions on the same issue. People may also be doing experiments simultaneously and different data may result from these separate efforts.

If there is a divergence in ideas that simply doesn't make sense, the parties may have to reconcile those differences. For example, if two people came up with different results to a given experiment, then the parties may want to get together, pool their information and find out just how the discrepancy happened.

When they identify the differences and make the data work together, they are said to have reconciled the data. In other words, they took the disagreement or differences and they found some logical way to explain those differences and agree so everything makes sense and fits together just right.

Definition of Reconcile

Like any word with multiple definitions, if you hear the word reconcile, you simply have to pause for a minute and figure out what the word means in the sentence.

Here's the official definition of the word reconcile:

1. to make friendly again or win over to a friendly attitude
2. to settle (a quarrel, difference, etc.)
3. to make (arguments, ideas, texts, accounts, etc.) consistent, compatible, etc.; bring into harmony
4. to make content, submissive, or acquiescent (to) to become reconciled to one's lot

Therefore, these multiple meanings suggest that this is one of those words that you simply have to figure out using context.