Nina is almost right. To repent means not only to feel remorse about something bad that you've done, but also to stop doing it, especially for habitual actions, for example, if you continue to cheat on your spouse multiple time, and then your conscience moves you to stop doing it. To atone for something, is to make up for something. If you broke your neighbors windows for example, you might atone for it by paying for the repair costs. Both terms have religious connotations, but can be used outside that context on occasion.

Hey Mohamed Hafez, Firstly, I shall congratulate you on making this question - it is rather interesting! Secondly, you should know that ''atone'' and ''repent'' are both considered to be age-old words, the latter being most archaic. That can be explained since they are fairly used in religious contexts. 1) Atone: ''to atone'' means ''to expiate''. When it is followed by ''for'' in a sentence, it gets the meaning of ''make amends or reparation (for a crime, sin, an offence, an error, etc)''. E.g.: ''You shall atone a guilt with repentance.'' E.g.: ''Do atone for your sins now, and you shall be redeemed.'' E.g.: ''I atoned for your sins before I started going to church again.'' 2) Repent: ''to repent'' means 'to feel regret or self-reproach for (something)''. This word is rather archaic and it is commonly used in the sense of ''cause (one or oneself) to feel remorse / to be contrite about (something)''. E.g.: ''Shall I repent my words? E.g.: ''He repented of his act.'' E.g.: "And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth" (King James Bible). Hope that helps!!!

The terms are not normally used except in a religious context. repent - to feel sincere remorse atone - to make things right from the New Oxford American Dictionary on my computer repent | rəˈpɛnt | verb [no object] feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one's wrongdoing or sin: the priest urged his listeners to repent | he repented of his action. • [with object] view or think of (an action or omission) with deep regret or remorse: Marian came to repent her hasty judgment. atone | əˈtoʊn | verb [no object] make amends or reparation: he was being helpful, to atone for his past mistakes.

To atone is to make something right whereas to repent is to feel sorry about something