entente

noun

en·​tente än-ˈtänt 

1

: an international understanding providing for a common course of action

2

[French entente cordiale] : a coalition of parties to an entente

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

As China proceeds with an aggressive and ambitious military buildup, as North Korea’s nuclear arsenal relentlessly grows and as the Sino-Russian entente deepens, the U.S. can’t afford to treat East Asia as a secondary theater. —Walter Russell Mead, WSJ, 31 Oct. 2022

Wanamaker, as the precisely coiffed Jean, toils to keep the entente between father and son, meanwhile cloaking her financial success to avoid emasculating her husband. —Vulture, 9 Feb. 2023

The deepening entente between Iran and Russia would make the president’s options even less palatable because Moscow could choose to help Tehran respond to an Israeli or American strike. —William A. Galston, WSJ, 9 Aug. 2022

Woodrow Wilson championed self-determination, but his victorious entente ignored Ukraine, recognizing Polish claims instead. —Timothy Snyder, The New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2022

For most Arab governments, Israel’s occupation of territories claimed by the Palestinians precluded any diplomatic entente and even in those capitals, Amman and Cairo, leaders sought to keep their relationships with Israel below the radar. —New York Times, 22 Mar. 2022

Budding Sino-Russian entente aside, a full-out attempt to dilute Western sanctions in Russia’s favor is unlikely because of the risk to China’s own technology and financial champions. —Nathaniel Taplin, WSJ, 1 Mar. 2022

The rising entente between Beijing and Moscow underscores the growing threats to the U.S.-led international order. —The Editorial Board, WSJ, 15 Dec. 2021

Contrast the elegance of the entente between Washington and Paris with Wednesday's boorish swipe by UK PM Boris Johnson, who lapsed into Franglais to mock French feelings. —Stephen Collinson And Melissa Bell, CNN, 23 Sep. 2021

See More

Word History

Etymology

French, from Old French, intent, understanding — more at intent entry 1

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing entente

• entente cordiale

• entente cordiale