noun
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an agreement to stop fighting, esp temporarily
-
temporary cessation of something unpleasant
Usage
What does truce mean? A truce is a stoppage of fighting between two or more people or sides in a conflict, especially a temporary one. The agreement, or treaty, that establishes such a stoppage can also be called a truce. When used in the context of military conflicts, a truce is often temporary and set for a specified period of time. Truce can also be used casually to refer to an agreement between two or more people to stop arguing or engaging in some less serious form of conflict, like a pillow fight (not that pillow fights can’t get pretty intense). Example: I realized the bad blood between me and Taylor was really petty, so we both decided to call a truce.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of truce
1175–1225; Middle English trewes, plural of trewe, Old English trēow belief, pledge, treaty. See trow
Explanation
When two warring sides decide to call it quits, it's called a truce — an agreement to end the fighting. When there's a truce, the two sides stop attacking each other, catch their breath, and try to work out a peace deal. A truce isn't a permanent solution: it's more like a time-out. People with other kinds of conflicts talk about truces, too. If you and your sister are in an ongoing battle, one of you could say, "Can we please call a truce?" That means you'll take a break from squabbling, at least for a while.
Vocabulary lists containing truce
"Tinker v. Des Moines": Excerpts from Justice Fortas's Opinion
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Fallen Angels
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"Roller Girl" by Victoria Jamieson
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Even though markets are cheering a potential truce between the U.S. and Iran and an expected normalization of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the central bank doesn’t expect price pressures to ease quickly.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 17, 2026
Though the truce appeared to be holding for now, Khalaf, who had raced to reopen his Nabatieh shop after the 2024 ceasefire, was waiting this time.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2026
If this was supposed to be a truce, what did that make it?
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026
The two sides have exchanged drone and missile fire, though each has characterized the actions as limited and defensive rather than a collapse of the truce.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026
Peewee asked what had happened to the truce, and I told him I didn’t know.
From "Fallen Angels" by Walter Dean Myers
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
