diplomacy

noun

di·​plo·​ma·​cy də-ˈplō-mə-sē 

1

: the art and practice of conducting negotiations between nations

2

: skill in handling affairs without arousing hostility : tact

handled the awkward situation with diplomacy

Synonyms

• manners
• tact
• sensitivity
• gallantry
• tactfulness
• consideration

Examples of diplomacy in a Sentence

She has had a long and distinguished career in diplomacy.

The government avoided a war by successfully resolving the issues through diplomacy.

This is a situation that calls for tactful diplomacy.

Recent Examples on the Web

With stunning celerity, possibility becomes probability and then certainty, as readers reject the quiet, circuitous, and unglamorous narratives of prudential compromise, ambiguous diplomacy, or incremental progress. —Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025

Historians like Birgit Tremml-Werner point out how the Empresa was actually embedded in — and constrained by — wider patterns of trade, diplomacy, and missionary activity. —Big Think, 29 Oct. 2025

That means communication and diplomacy may not be at the top of everyone’s agenda. —Jake Kring-Schreifels, Time, 27 Oct. 2025

Such statements will shape how voters and the international community assess his record on diplomacy and conflict resolution. —Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see diplomatic

First Known Use

1766, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing diplomacy

• dollar diplomacy
• gunboat diplomacy
• shuttle diplomacy

Kids Definition

diplomacy

noun

di·​plo·​ma·​cy də-ˈplō-mə-sē 

1

: the work of keeping up relations between the governments of different countries

2

: skill in dealing with others without causing bad feelings : tact