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

But Trump's disruption of the Western alliance, his appeasement of autocrats, and his abandonment of global stability have made the world a far scarier place. —Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025

Taiwan miscalculated, leaning too hard into economic appeasement and disastrous diplomatic outreach. —Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025

The survival of these works, through strategic planning, diplomatic appeasement and the German affinity with the conquered Dutch as ethnic brethren, is now the subject of an exhibit at the Mauritshuis. —Nina Siegal, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025

Contrary to appearances, the Sheinbaum secret is appeasement. —David Frum, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for appeasement

• easement