Word
appeasement
Phoneticsap·pease·ment
US/əˈpizmənt/
UK/ɐpˈiːzmənt/
Definition
n. the act of giving in to someone's demands to avoid a fight or war. It is often used to describe how countries try to keep the peace by giving up some of their power.
n. the act of satisfying a person or nation's demands in order to avoid conflict. Often carries a pejorative connotation, implying that the concessions made will not prevent future aggression.
Examples
“The government tried appeasement to avoid another war.”
“Historians often debate whether appeasement was a legitimate strategy or a failure to stand up to aggression.”
“The policy of appeasement in the 1930s is frequently cited as a cautionary tale of how diplomatic concessions can be interpreted as a sign of weakness rather than a commitment to peace.”
Examples
simple
“The government tried appeasement to avoid another war.”
contextual
“Historians often debate whether appeasement was a legitimate strategy or a failure to stand up to aggression.”
complex
“The policy of appeasement in the 1930s is frequently cited as a cautionary tale of how diplomatic concessions can be interpreted as a sign of weakness rather than a commitment to peace.”
Real-World Examples
“Eden told Haley he was glad the Times was not repeating its own appeasement stance of the 1930s.” Etymology
From Middle English appesement, from Old French apaisement.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/appeasement