conciliatory

adjective

con·​cil·​ia·​to·​ry kən-ˈsil-yə-ˌtȯr-ē 

-ˈsi-lē-ə-

: intended to gain goodwill or favor or to reduce hostility : tending or intended to conciliate

speaking in a conciliatory tone

But while the conference call might have been seen as a conciliatory gesture, an olive branch to his critics after weeks of bitter back-and-forth, the meeting seemed anything but.

—Colin Deppen

He was self-assured, aggressive, combative, at times willing to offend and at times trying to sound conciliatory.

—Dan Balz

Did you know?

If you are conciliatory towards someone, you're trying to win that person over to your side. The verb conciliate was borrowed into English in the mid-16th century and descends from the Latin verb conciliare, meaning "to assemble, unite, or win over." Conciliare, in turn, comes from Latin concilium, meaning "assembly" or "council." Conciliatory, which appeared in English a bit later in the 16th century, also traces back to conciliare. Another word that has conciliare as a root is reconcile, the earliest meaning of which is "to restore to friendship or harmony."

Synonyms

• placatory
• soothing
• benevolent
• peaceful
• propitiatory
• conciliating
• comforting
• kind
• pacific
• appeasing
• gentle
• mollifying
• calming
• placating

Examples of conciliatory in a Sentence

eased the tension with conciliatory remarks

Recent Examples on the Web

Some European politicians have expressed concern over the conciliatory U.S. approach to the negotiations. —Katya Soldak, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025

But shortly after Valero announced its plans to close the Benicia refinery, the governor appeared to a take on a more conciliatory tone. —Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 July 2025

Ndiaye noted how Faye’s conciliatory approach to dealing with challenges in government contrasts with Sonko’s demand to purge loyalists of the former regime. —Joël Té-Léssia Assoko, semafor.com, 25 July 2025

Their statement was conciliatory in tone, acknowledging the significance of the issue Adath Jeshurun is seeking to address. —Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 7 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1576, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for conciliatory

• accusatory
• admonitory
• ambulatory
• amendatory
• celebratory
• circulatory
• combinatory
• commendatory
• compensatory
• condemnatory
• confirmatory
• confiscatory

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