conciliatory
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of conciliatory
First recorded in 1570–80; conciliate + -ory 1
Explanation
If you're in a fight with a friend and you want to end it, you should make a conciliatory gesture, such as inviting her to a party you're having. Conciliatory describes things that make other people less angry. The context is often a situation in which a dispute is settled by compromise. A synonym is propitiatory, though this adjective usually refers to avoiding the anger of someone who has the power to harm. In the word conciliatory, the –ory suffix means "relating to or doing," and the root is from Latin conciliatus, from conciliare "to bring together, win over," from concilium "council."
Vocabulary lists containing conciliatory
Power Prefix: con-
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 2
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The Crucible
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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.
Conciliatory talks between the local authority and Unite, chaired by the arbitration service Acas, have so far failed to reach a solution both sides can agree on.
From BBC • Jun. 25, 2025
Conciliatory policies soon gave way to sterner treatment, as the occupiers discovered that support for secession and hatred of the invaders reached far beyond the plantation elite.
From Textbooks • Jan. 18, 2018
"Conciliatory words will have to be matched by actions that are transparent and verifiable," Obama told the United Nations General Assembly.
From Reuters • Sep. 24, 2013
“Everyone is extremely focused on the core issues, the difficult issues, that confront them,” Cohen, the director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliatory Service, told reporters in New York.
From Washington Post • Oct. 20, 2011
Conciliatory measures followed, most of the patroon lands were sold to the tenants, and the great estates gradually passed out of existence.
From The Greater Republic A History of the United States by Morris, Charles
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.
