noun
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an agreement to stop fighting, esp temporarily
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temporary cessation of something unpleasant
Usage
What does truce mean? A truce is a stoppage of fighting between two or more people or sides in a conflict, especially a temporary one. The agreement, or treaty, that establishes such a stoppage can also be called a truce. When used in the context of military conflicts, a truce is often temporary and set for a specified period of time. Truce can also be used casually to refer to an agreement between two or more people to stop arguing or engaging in some less serious form of conflict, like a pillow fight (not that pillow fights can’t get pretty intense). Example: I realized the bad blood between me and Taylor was really petty, so we both decided to call a truce.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of truce
1175–1225; Middle English trewes, plural of trewe, Old English trēow belief, pledge, treaty. See trow
Explanation
When two warring sides decide to call it quits, it's called a truce — an agreement to end the fighting. When there's a truce, the two sides stop attacking each other, catch their breath, and try to work out a peace deal. A truce isn't a permanent solution: it's more like a time-out. People with other kinds of conflicts talk about truces, too. If you and your sister are in an ongoing battle, one of you could say, "Can we please call a truce?" That means you'll take a break from squabbling, at least for a while.
Vocabulary lists containing truce
"Tinker v. Des Moines": Excerpts from Justice Fortas's Opinion
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Fallen Angels
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"Roller Girl" by Victoria Jamieson
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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.
The truce deal, brokered by the United States, allows Israel to carry out strikes it says are aimed at countering Hezbollah's military activity.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
“And the durability of this truce depends less on the warmth of the words exchanged by the two leaders than on the credibility of the deterrents they can wield against each other.”
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
Even the U.S., the only economy large enough to resist Chinese pressure, sought a trade-war truce when China imposed export controls on rare earths and critical minerals.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
The world's top two economies reached a trade war truce late last year, allowing Boeing to resume normal activity with Chinese customers.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
They came together to negotiate a peace, and once the negotiations were concluded, they marked their truce by each of them, Aesir and Vanir alike, one by one spitting into a vat.
From "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman
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.
