conciliatory

adjective

con·cil·ia·to·ry kən-ˈsil-yə-ˌtȯr-ē

-ˈsi-lē-ə-

Synonyms of conciliatory next

: intended to gain goodwill or favor or to reduce hostility : tending or intended to conciliate

speaking in a conciliatory tone

But while the conference call might have been seen as a conciliatory gesture, an olive branch to his critics after weeks of bitter back-and-forth, the meeting seemed anything but.—

Colin Deppen

He was self-assured, aggressive, combative, at times willing to offend and at times trying to sound conciliatory.—

Dan Balz

Did you know?

If you are conciliatory towards someone, you're trying to win that person over to your side. The verb conciliate was borrowed into English in the mid-16th century and descends from the Latin verb conciliare, meaning "to assemble, unite, or win over." Conciliare, in turn, comes from Latin concilium, meaning "assembly" or "council." Conciliatory, which appeared in English a bit later in the 16th century, also traces back to conciliare. Another word that has conciliare as a root is reconcile, the earliest meaning of which is "to restore to friendship or harmony."

Examples of conciliatory in a Sentence

eased the tension with conciliatory remarks

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Niccol has taken a more conciliatory tone with the union. —

Azure Gilman, Fortune, 2 Nov. 2024 In recent years, the British monarchy has adopted a more conciliatory tone when addressing the past horrors of transatlantic slavery. —

Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN, 25 Oct. 2024 The critique has prompted conciliatory changes, with some going to great lengths to accommodate right-wing figures. —

Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2024 Lara Trump took the podium at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in the closing slot Tuesday and struck a moderately conciliatory tone in the wake of an assassination attempt on her father-in-law and Republican nominee Donald Trump. —

James Powel, USA TODAY, 17 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for conciliatory