conciliatory

adjective

con·cil·ia·to·ry kən-ˈsil-yə-ˌtȯr-ē

-ˈsi-lē-ə-

Synonyms of conciliatory next

: 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."

Examples of conciliatory in a Sentence

eased the tension with conciliatory remarks

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Cobb said the applicant should be conciliatory about the offense and then promote their good acts since the crime. —

Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 24 Dec. 2024 Part of your role as a peacemaker is acknowledging the opportunities, highlighting when someone says something conciliatory, or shows kindness in conflict. —

Anna Shields, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024 What has gone unremarked is that his tone toward Mexico at times is far more conciliatory today. —

Alex González Ormerod, TIME, 21 Nov. 2024 After a speech woven with firearm references, a Boebert staple, the congresswoman struck a conciliatory note. —

Jesse Bedayn, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for conciliatory