pacify

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verb pac·i·fy \ˈpa-sə-ˌfī\

Definition of pacify

pacified

;

pacifying

transitive verb
1a : to allay the anger or agitation of : soothe pacify a crying childb : appease, propitiate tried to pacify the enemy with compromises
2a : to restore to a tranquil state : settle made an attempt to pacify the commotionb : to reduce to a submissive state : subdue forces moved in to pacify the country

pacifiable

play \ˌpa-sə-ˈfī-ə-bəl\ adjective

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pacify was our Word of the Day on 05/11/2012. Hear the podcast!

Examples of pacify in a Sentence

She resigned from her position to pacify her accusers.
Their efforts to pacify the nation by force failed.
trying to pacify a mob of protesters

Recent Examples of pacify from the Web

Though the results project voters will give Macron a historic landslide, a legislative majority may not pacify his opponents or stem the resistance that’s expected to rise against him.

— yasmeen serhan, The Atlantic, "The Atlantic Daily: Injunction Junction," 12 June 2017
LONDON — Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain, trying to pacify her Conservative Party after a major setback in the country’s election on Thursday, on Saturday let go her top two aides, who had earned reputations for secrecy and arrogance.

— steven erlanger, New York Times, "Theresa May’s Top Aides Quit Under Pressure From U.K. Cabinet," 10 June 2017
Their removal was seen as a way to pacify party frustration, which otherwise might have ended in May’s removal—although, that still seems a possibility.

— j. weston phippen, The Atlantic, "Theresa May's Waning Support," 10 June 2017
Dignity therapy has gained traction in recent years as hospitals, hospice organizations and palliative care centers look for drug-free ways to pacify patients.

— sammy caiola, sacbee.com, "What will your last words be? Legacy therapy helps dying patients tell their stories," 6 June 2017
The Smile Jamaica concert, so named for Marley's pacifying single released in November, would be held on Dec. 5.

— patricia meschino, Billboard, "Bob Marley's 'Exodus' Turns 40: Classic Track-by-Track Review," 3 June 2017
First, pundits can dispel the notion that Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner have the secret sauce for pacifying Trump and keeping him from descending into right-wing lunacy.

— jennifer rubin, The Denver Post, "The big political takeaways on the U.S. exiting the Paris climate deal," 2 June 2017
Ultimately, the wars of the Middle East will be pacified only by political solutions, backed by strong governments.

— dexter filkins, The New Yorker, "James Mattis, a Warrior in Washington," 29 May 2017
Many observers believe that picking 63-year-old Lucia — a career lawyer with no political affiliation — would pacify Brazilians who are furious with the political class after years of scandals.

— Washington Post, "If Brazil president goes, here are possible replacements," 24 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pacify.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

A parent who wants to win a little peace and quiet might give a fussy baby a pacifier. An employer seeking to avoid worker discontent might pay employees well. These actions may seem unrelated, but, etymologically speaking, they have a lot in common. Both "pacifier" and "pay" are ultimately derived from "pax," the Latin word for "peace." As you may have guessed, "pax" is also the source of our word peace. "Pacify" comes to us through Middle English "pacifien," from the Latin verb pacificare, which derives from "pax."

Origin and Etymology of pacify

Middle English pacifien, from Anglo-French pacifier, from Latin pacificare, from pac-, pax peace

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First Known Use: 15th century

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Synonym Discussion of pacify

pacify, appease, placate, mollify, propitiate, conciliate mean to ease the anger or disturbance of. pacify suggests a soothing or calming. pacified by a sincere apology appease implies quieting insistent demands by making concessions. appease their territorial ambitions placate suggests changing resentment or bitterness to goodwill. a move to placate local opposition mollify implies soothing hurt feelings or rising anger. a speech that mollified the demonstrators propitiate implies averting anger or malevolence especially of a superior being. propitiated his parents by dressing up conciliate suggests ending an estrangement by persuasion, concession, or settling of differences. conciliating the belligerent nations