détente

noun

dé·​tente dā-ˈtänt 

variants or detente

1

: the relaxation of strained relations or tensions (as between nations)

diplomats brokering a détente

also : a policy promoting this

2

: a period of détente

the beginning of a détente

Examples of détente in a Sentence

as the countries move toward détente

the start of a détente

Recent Examples on the Web

The veteran litigator found herself in hot water after her efforts to broker a detente between Cipriani and Shell spectacularly backfired. — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026

Her new memoir answers these questions with an emphatic yes, and focuses on key turning points including the Mariel Boatlift, the economic crisis after the fall of the Soviet Union, and the brief detente under President Obama. — Geraldo L. Cadava, The Atlantic, 19 May 2026

In fact, the release of political prisoners is central to the negotiations aimed at achieving a wider, historic detente, people with understanding of the talks have told USA TODAY. — Rick Jervis, USA Today, 13 May 2026

Have humans and the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the cause of Covid, reached a detente? — Helen Branswell, STAT, 27 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French

First Known Use

1908, in the meaning defined at sense 1