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 toward someone, you’re trying to win that person over to your side, usually by making them less angry. 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 the noun concilium, meaning “assembly” or “council.” Conciliatory, which appeared in English a bit later in the 16th century, also traces back to conciliare, and is used especially to describe things like tones, gestures, and approaches intended to turn someone’s frown upside down. Another word that has conciliare as a root is reconcile, the earliest meaning of which is “to restore to friendship or harmony.”

Synonyms of conciliatory

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

Examples of conciliatory in a Sentence

eased the tension with conciliatory remarks

Recent Examples on the Web

Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian has struck a more conciliatory tone, urging dialogue and promising economic reforms in bid to placate demonstrators demanding political change, action on corruption and relief from rising living costs. —Anniek Bao, CNBC, 6 Jan. 2026

Opponents found a conciliatory tone, mostly concerned with vague details Neighbors offered about security, screening and how residents will use the associated auto shop on site. —Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 6 Jan. 2026

Rodríguez, whom the White House sees as a capable partner on economic issues, will face the challenge of fielding US demands without being perceived by Maduro loyalists as too conciliatory to Washington. —J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 5 Jan. 2026

A day after being sworn in, Rodríguez tried to strike a more conciliatory tone. —Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026

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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