appeasement
Britishnoun
-
the policy of acceding to the demands of a potentially hostile nation in the hope of maintaining peace
-
the act of appeasing
Discover More
A classic example of appeasement is the Munich Pact of 1938, negotiated between Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler. Chamberlain, the prime minister of Britain, allowed Hitler to annex part of Czechoslovakia to Germany.
Explanation
Appeasement is the act of calming something down. A candy bar might give your hunger temporary appeasement, but eventually you'll need a real meal. The noun appeasement comes from the verb appease, which itself comes from the French words a ("to") and pais ("peace"). We wouldn't use appeasement to talk about deep inner calm, but rather satisfying demands, or bringing a turbulent situation back to calm, and in a way that often meets with disapproval. The ransom of $50,000, for instance, is an appeasement for the kidnappers.
Vocabulary lists containing appeasement
A Thousand Splendid Suns
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!
World War II
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!
Franklin Roosevelt, "Four Freedoms" (1941)
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.
Unfortunately, Burns’s strategy of partial appeasement still spelled economic misfortune.
From Slate • Sep. 5, 2025
Legal experts suggest appeasement could be viable under certain circumstances.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 6, 2025
“There is a need for respect, appeasement and unity,” he said, in a nod to the fraught political landscape he now presides over.
From BBC • Sep. 5, 2024
“I am saying now that I am going to work for appeasement, for conditions that will allow the country to be peaceful … let’s all hold inclusive discussions before we go to elections,” he said.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 9, 2024
Our old teacher brought paper doilies to school in her many efforts at appeasement, and her windows were always crawling with paper vegetation.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
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.
