armistice

American  

[ahr-muh-stis] / ˈɑr mə stɪs /

noun

• armistices
  plural

1. a temporary suspension of hostilities by agreement of the warring parties; truce.

   World War I ended with the armistice of 1918.

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armistice British  

/ ˈɑːmɪstɪs /

noun

1. an agreement between opposing armies to suspend hostilities in order to discuss peace terms; truce

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• postarmistice
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• armistices
  plural

Etymology

Origin of armistice

First recorded in 1670–80; from French, from Medieval Latin armistitium, equivalent to Latin armi- (combining form of arma “weapons, arms, instruments of war”) + -stitium “a stopping” ( stit- being a variant stem of sistere “to stop,” and modeled on Latin solstitium “solstice”) + -ium neuter of -ius adjective and noun suffix; see origin at arm ², solstice, stand, -ium

Compare meaning

How does armistice compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• armistice vs. treaty

Explanation

When two sides of a war need a break from killing each other, they agree to an armistice, a temporary battle timeout. An armistice isn’t permanent, but it’s usually a sign that both sides want to give peace a chance. War is exhausting, and sometimes you need an armistice to catch your breath and figure out a more peaceful way to live. The word has two Greek roots: arma which means “weapons,” and stitium which means “stoppage.” When you’re ready to stop using your weapons, it’s time to propose an armistice. Although the word looks like a mouthful, it’s easy to pronounce if you remember that it’s an arm with two rhymes: ARM-iss-tiss.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

armistice armistices

Last week, South Korea's president proposed talks with its northern neighbour on officially ending the war between the two that is technically still active since an armistice was signed in 1953.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

North Korea remains technically at war with the South because the neighbours' 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026

De Gaulle, on the other hand, was a mere brigadier and junior minister who had fled his country after the French government announced in 1940 that it would seek an armistice with Germany.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 13, 2026

Rothman all but declared the armistice a failure, urging Vice President J.D.

From Slate ● Apr. 10, 2026

He was training cadets at a camp in North Wales when the armistice was announced.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

It was the first time a German leader had returned to the spot where both World War I and World War II armistices were concluded.

From New York Times ● Nov. 10, 2018

Stuffing his script into his pocket, Harry Truman added that he wanted to give the reporters a lecture on fake stories about cease-fires and armistices.

From Time Magazine Archive

So often had New Yorkers been fooled by false armistices that they were unable to believe the strike had ended until the now-unfamiliar dailies were there on the newsstands.

From Time Magazine Archive

This Council had a membership identical with that of the Supreme War Council, which controlled the armistices, their enforcement, and other military matters.

From The Peace Negotiations A Personal Narrative by Robert Lansing

No one dared to prophesy what might happen if the state of political uncertainty and industrial stagnation, which existed under the armistices, continued.

From The Peace Negotiations A Personal Narrative by Robert Lansing

Related Words

• ceasefire
• truce