This means the turning away of wrath by an offering. It is similar to expiation, but expiation does not carry the nuances involving wrath. For the Christian, the propitiation was the shed blood of Jesus on the cross. It turned away the wrath of God so that He could pass “over the sins previously committed,” (Rom. 3:25). It was the Father who sent the Son to be the propitiation (1 John 4:10) for all (1 John 2:2).

• “Propitiation properly signifies the removal of wrath by the offering of a gift,” (The New Bible Dictionary).
• “Propitiation signifies the turning away of wrath by an offering,” (Baker’s Dictionary of Theology,  p. 424).
• The act of appeasing the wrath and conciliating the favor of an offended person, (dictionary.com).
• “The act of appeasing the wrath,” (Webster’s dictionary, 1828).