de-escalation

American  

[dee-es-kuh-layshuhn] / ˌdiˌɛs kəˈleɪʃən /

noun

plural

de-escalations

1. the fact or process of de-escalating.

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Explanation

When a potentially violent situation becomes less intense, reducing the likelihood of a conflict, that's de-escalation. Instead of another loud argument with your brother, you might aim for de-escalation. De-escalation is a technique that's used by a wide variety of people, from police officers to company managers to elementary school teachers to leaders of countries. Turning down the intensity of a disagreement, ideally getting people to discuss their issues instead of shoving each other (or starting a war) is what de-escalation is all about. The word comes from the prefix de-, "the opposite of," and escalate, or "raise," from a Latin root meaning "to climb."

Related Words

• accord
• agreement
• amnesty
• armistice
• cease-fire
• détente
• lull
• moratorium
• pause
• peace
• reconciliation
• reprieve
• suspension