modus vivendi
noun
mo·dus vi·ven·di
ˌmō-dəs-vi-ˈven-dē 
-ˌdī
plural modi vivendi
ˈmō-ˌdē-
ˈmō-ˌdī-
1
: a feasible arrangement or practical compromise
especially
: one that bypasses difficulties
2
: a manner of living : a way of life
Examples of modus vivendi in a Sentence
The two nations developed a modus vivendi in order to avoid war.
Recent Examples on the Web
From Herzl onward, many of them hoped for a peaceful modus vivendi with the Arab population; a dwindling number of liberals still dream of a two-state solution.
—
Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Any coexistence would be uneasy, built not primarily on trust but on credible threats and assurances—deterrence paired with steps toward a modus vivendi that both countries and peoples could live with and prosper within.
—Jessica Chen Weiss, Foreign Affairs, 16 Sep. 2024
Director Stephen Soucy revives Merchant-Ivory’s reputation in defiance of the contemporary cultural fashion that rejects literature and the Western empire — Henry James and E. M. Forster being the source of Merchant and Ivory’s modus vivendi.
—Armond White, National Review, 4 Sep. 2024
In the course of the nineteen-eighties—a modus vivendi with China having been reached, and Deng Xiaoping opening the country for business—getting tough on Communism receded as a priority for Washington.
—Ian Buruma, The New Yorker, 24 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for modus vivendi
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Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Any coexistence would be uneasy, built not primarily on trust but on credible threats and assurances—deterrence paired with steps toward a modus vivendi that both countries and peoples could live with and prosper within.
—Jessica Chen Weiss, Foreign Affairs, 16 Sep. 2024
Director Stephen Soucy revives Merchant-Ivory’s reputation in defiance of the contemporary cultural fashion that rejects literature and the Western empire — Henry James and E. M. Forster being the source of Merchant and Ivory’s modus vivendi.
—Armond White, National Review, 4 Sep. 2024
In the course of the nineteen-eighties—a modus vivendi with China having been reached, and Deng Xiaoping opening the country for business—getting tough on Communism receded as a priority for Washington.
—Ian Buruma, The New Yorker, 24 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for modus vivendi
Cite this Entry
“Modus vivendi.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/modus%20vivendi. Accessed 27 Sep. 2025.
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