irenic

Also i·ren·i·cal
Or ei·ren·ic

[ahy-ren-ik, ahy-ree-nik]

adjective

1. tending to promote peace or reconciliation; peaceful or conciliatory.

irenic

/ aɪˈriːnɪk, -ˈrɛn- /

adjective

1. tending to conciliate or promote peace

Other Word Forms

• irenically adverb
• nonirenic adjective
• nonirenical adjective
• unirenic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of irenic¹

First recorded in 1860–65; from Greek eirēnikós, equivalent to ( eirḗn(ē) ) “peace” + -ikos -ic

Word History and Origins

Origin of irenic¹

C19: from Greek eirēnikos, from eirēnē peace

Example Sentences

Respond with irenic understanding, and you’re treating her as a patient or a puppet, someone acted upon and controlled by larger forces.

From New York Times

You wrote, “But what, specifically, do these conservatives want, besides a sense of thrill-in-combat that French’s irenic style denies them? I don’t think they are completely certain themselves.”

From The New Yorker

The light filtering through the front door toward which Melrose walks is redemptive, the opening bars of Blur’s “Tender,” which accompany him, suitably irenic.

From The New Yorker

Several irenic uses for the base have already been suggested.

From The New Yorker

Read liberal American critiques of post-9/11 America—including President Obama’s 2009 Cairo speech, with its apologies, cautions and irenic aspirations—and hear the echoes of French critiques.

From Wall Street Journal