pacification
Britishnoun
Other Word Forms
Explanation
Pacification is an attempt to create or maintain peace. That can mean appeasing a hostile country through diplomacy or even just by settling an argument. A pacifist is someone who is against fighting and wars. That can help you remember that pacification is a means — usually carried out by a government — to keep the peace or end a conflict. If two countries are having a war of words that could escalate, one country could use foreign aid (money) as a means of pacification. If a country is battling a revolution from within, stopping the insurgency can also be called pacification.
Vocabulary lists containing pacification
"Politics and the English Language" by George Orwell
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
myPerspectives 10.3
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Excerpts from "Things Fall Apart"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Pacification wasn’t working, and casualties — American and Vietnamese — were mounting.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2023
In November 2011 Rocinha became part of an extraordinary experiment known either as Pacification or more commonly by the acronym UPP.
From BBC • Apr. 25, 2014
"Pacification" may now be softening dividing lines between communities in the favelas.
From The Guardian • May 19, 2012
Mr. Kony’s relocation to Congo followed many failed attempts to uproot him, including Operation Iron Fist and the establishment of the Ministry for the Pacification of the North.
From New York Times • Mar. 21, 2012
Nothing better could have happened from the point of view of the patriots, and the differences which had begun to undermine the work of the Pacification of Ghent, during the last months, were promptly forgotten.
From Belgium From the Roman Invasion to the Present Day by Cammaerts, Emile
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.
