diplomacy
Americannoun
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the conduct by government officials of negotiations and other relations between nations.
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the art or science of conducting such negotiations.
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skill in managing negotiations, handling people, etc., so that there is little or no ill will; tact.
Seating one's dinner guests often calls for considerable diplomacy.
noun
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the conduct of the relations of one state with another by peaceful means
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skill in the management of international relations
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tact, skill, or cunning in dealing with people
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of diplomacy
First recorded in 1790–1800; from French diplomatie, from diplomat(e) diplomat + -ie -y 3
Explanation
Diplomacy is the art of helping groups to get along and even work together. If you have a gift for diplomacy, you can get bickering siblings to cooperate. The word diplomacy comes from the French word diplomatie, which means “diplomat.” A diplomat lives in a foreign country, fluent in its language — and culture. The job of a diplomat is to practice diplomacy among nations, understanding the concerns and needs of all and, if possible, guiding them toward decisions that are mutually agreeable.
Vocabulary lists containing diplomacy
Night
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Power Suffix: -acy
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Government
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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.
Team boss Andrea Stella was asked later that evening whether he was concerned about the message about team play not getting through to his drivers, and he dealt with it with his usual diplomacy.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
Roosevelt used the property to relax, but he also saw it as a perfect place for high-level diplomacy.
From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2026
Security researcher Collin Koh said that China -- Laos's largest creditor -- was "trying to showcase that it is able to extend itself in defence diplomacy", at least with "amenable countries".
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
For decades, presidents and Congress have pursued climate policy through federal statutes, diplomacy and international agreements.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
And thus my elders concerned themselves with all manner of things—strategy, diplomacy, politics, and Zionism—but not with their own fate.
From "Night" by Elie Wiesel
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
