rapprochement

[ rap-rohsh-mahn; French ra-prawsh-mahn ]

/ ˌræp roʊʃˈmɑ̃; French ra prɔʃˈmɑ̃ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR rapprochement ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

an establishment or reestablishment of harmonious relations: a rapprochement reached between warring factions.

Nearby words

rapping, rappini, rappist, rapport, rapporteur, rapprochement, rappé pie, rapscallion, rapt, raptor, raptorial

Origin of rapprochement

1800–10; < French, equivalent to rapproche(r) to bring near, bring together (r(e)- re- + approcher; see approach) + -ment -ment

SYNONYMS FOR rapprochement

reconciliation, understanding, accommodation.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR rapprochement ON THESAURUS.COM

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for rapprochement

BOGOTÁ, Colombia — Most Latin Americans celebrated the rapprochement between the United States and Cuba.
Venezuela Says Goodbye to Its Lil Friend, While the Rest of the Continent Cheers|Catalina Lobo-Guererro|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This rapprochement was The Birth of a Nation that Griffith evoked when he changed the name of his movie from The Clansman.
The Fight to Ban ‘Birth of a Nation’|Jack Schwartz|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There was even a rapprochement between him and his father before his death.
The Secrets of Britain’s Wildest Aristocrats|Tom Sykes|October 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Fittingly, some rapprochement seems to be taking place between both schools of thought.
Oh, if These Penises and Vaginas Could Talk: Genitalia as Tools, Toys, and Weapons|Menno Schilthuizen|May 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST

U.S. President Barack Obama is almost certainly determined to make some form of rapprochement with Iran his foreign policy legacy.
Israel Must Take a More Diplomatic Approach Toward Iran|David Patrikarakos|December 17, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The rapprochement with Russia was another proof that France, in spite of its troubles, was to be reckoned with in Europe.
A History of the Third French Republic|C. H. C. Wright
As a result of the kidnaping at Sian at the end of 1936, the Nationalists and the Communists drifted toward a rapprochement.
Government in Republican China|Paul Myron Anthony Linebarger
From her uncomfortable isolation there were only two possible exits—a rapprochement with Germany or a rapprochement with England.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 8|Various
Even English attempts at a rapprochement must not blind us to the real situation, says Bernhardi.
The German War|Arthur Conan Doyle
He here seeks to effect a rapprochement between metaphysic and science.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 16, Slice 5|Various

British Dictionary definitions for rapprochement

rapprochement

/ French (raprɔʃmɑ̃) /

noun

a resumption of friendly relations, esp between two countries

Word Origin for rapprochement

C19: literally: bringing closer

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

Culture definitions for rapprochement

rapprochement

[ (rap-rohsh-mahnn, rah-prawsh-mahnn) ]

A closer approach of two groups to each other. Rapprochement, a French term, is often applied to two nations, especially ones that become reconciled after relations between them have worsened.