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Synonyms

placate

¹ American

[pley-keyt, plak-eyt] / ˈpleɪ keɪt, ˈplæk eɪt /

verb (used with object)

placated, placating

to appease or pacify, especially by concessions or conciliatory gestures.

to placate an outraged citizenry.

Synonyms:

satisfy, conciliate

placate ² American

[plak-eyt, -it] / ˈplæk eɪt, -ɪt /

Also placcate,

noun

Armor.

a piece of plate armor of the 15th to the 18th century protecting the lower part of the torso in front: used especially as a reinforcement over a breastplate.

placate British

/ pləˈkeɪt /

verb

(tr) to pacify or appease

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of placate¹

First recorded in 1670–80; from Latin plācātus, past participle of plācāre “to quiet, calm, appease,” akin to placēre “to please”; cf. please

Origin of placate²

First recorded in 1625–35; apparently variant of placard

Explanation

If you placate someone, you stop them from being angry by giving them something or doing something that pleases them. If your dad is annoyed that you forgot to take out the trash, you might be able to placate him by doing the dishes. If your little sister is mad that the dog ate her favorite teddy bear, you could placate her by buying her an ice cream cone. A near synonym for placate is appease. The origin of placate is Latin placare, "to calm or soothe." The related Latin verb placere is the source of English please.

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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.

He is accompanied on his reluctant journey to the finish line with a group of characters who by turns torment and placate him.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026

But it will have its work cut out to placate the mercurial Republican.

From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026

In that Peacock series, Elizabeth Banks’ Lindy Littlejohn is a best-selling author tired of diminishing her well-earned reputation to placate her husband, a bumbling scientist.

From Salon • Apr. 23, 2026

Europe has tried to placate President Trump in his second term as best they can.

From BBC • Jan. 18, 2026

Frank wanted to say something to excuse Percy iand placate the god, but he didn’t know what.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023