détente

or de·tente

[ dey-tahnt; French dey-tahnt ]

noun

, plural dé·tentes [dey-, tahnts, dey-, tahnt].

1. a relaxing of tension, especially between nations, as by negotiations or agreements.

détente

/ deɪˈtɑːnt; detɑ̃t /

noun

1. the relaxing or easing of tension, esp between nations

détente

1. A period of lessening tension between two major national powers, or a policy designed to lessen that tension. Détente presupposes that the two powers will continue to disagree but seeks to reduce the occasions of conflict.

Word History and Origins

Origin of détente¹

First recorded in 1905–10; from French; detent

Word History and Origins

Origin of détente¹

French, literally: a loosening, from Old French destendre to release, from tendre to stretch

Example Sentences

Analysts interpreted it as an immediate ripple effect of the newly established US-Cuban détente.

From The Daily Beast

The hiring seemed to inaugurate a détente between Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell.

From The Daily Beast

But opponents of same-sex marriage say that even in those instances there was détente after passions cooled.

From The Daily Beast

This means there are more settlement construction plans to be announced, all in good time, during this so-called détente period.

From The Daily Beast

Moscow objected to a speech in which she claimed that détente was impractical when the Soviet Union was “bent on world dominance.”

From The Daily Beast

Il semblait, en effet, que le petit masque douloureux avait trouvé quelque détente dans quelque imaginaire vision.

From Project Gutenberg