olive branch

noun

1

: a branch of the olive tree especially when used as a symbol of peace

2

: an offer or gesture of conciliation or goodwill

Examples of olive branch in a Sentence

The winner extended an olive branch to his opponent by calling him a great player.

Recent Examples on the Web

As an olive branch, EA dialed back some—but not all—of the microtransactions in College Football 27’s Dynasty and Road to Glory modes. — Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 4 Sep. 2026

On the flip side is the Great Seal of the United States, with the bald eagle gripping arrows in one claw and an olive branch in the other. — Jesse Bedayn, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026

Whether this move back to England resembles something of an olive branch — to the public, press, or to the monarchy — will likely become apparent in the coming months. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026

Piker has downplayed el Sayed’s attempt to put distance between them and questioned his olive branches as an effort to moderate his criticism of Israel. — Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 31 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for olive branch

• avalanche
• blanch
• cranch
• manche
• ranch
• stanch
• tranche

Kids Definition

olive branch

noun

1

: a branch of the olive tree especially when used as a symbol of peace

2

: something meant to show intentions of peace or goodwill

made a call to his former friend as an olive branch