appeasement

noun

ap·​pease·​ment ə-ˈpēz-mənt 

plural appeasements

1

: the act or action of appeasing someone or something

… one tribe may go in for the appeasement of local ghosts …

—W. D. Howells

especially : a policy of appeasing an enemy or potential aggressor by making concessions

Although appeasement may work in individual cases, terrorist groups with global ambitions cannot be appeased by territorial concessions.

—Walter Laqueur

The Munich analogy—recalling the Allies' appeasement of Germany over its demands on Czechoslovakia in 1938—has been cited again and again, and this is understandable.

—Fredric Smoler

2

: the state of being satisfied

an experience from which he derived little appeasement

… we are relieved to read of Shaw … alleviating the tedium of a vegetarian diet with secret gorges on boiled sweets and cake; his sensuality found appeasement in sugar.

—Robertson Davies

Examples of appeasement in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

One way out of the doom and gloom would be for Winnipeg to announce the aforementioned Hellebuyck appeasement. — Murat Ates, New York Times, 20 July 2026

Both are movements intent on destroying the traditional parts of their parties, and no amount of appeasement will change their objective. — Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 20 July 2026

But appeasement will only aid Xi Jinping’s imperial goals. — Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026

After a brief burst of good ratings results, CBS News is once against under a dark cloud of allegations of MAGA appeasement and corporate-overlord overreach. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 27 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for appeasement

• easement