Word of the Day

: December 26, 2007

conciliate

verb kun-SILL-ee-ayt

What It Means

1 : to gain (as goodwill) by pleasing acts

2 : to make compatible : reconcile

3 : appease

conciliate in Context

City Councilor Nguyen approved the closing of the branch library and later attempted to conciliate his constituents by pushing for free bus service to the main library.

Did You Know?

A council is "an assembly or meeting for consultation, advice, or discussion," and it is often the task of a council to conciliate opposing views. It seems fitting, therefore, that the words "council" and "conciliate" both derive from the Latin word "concilium," which means "assembly" or "council." "Conciliate" comes to us from the Latin "conciliatus," the past participle of the verb "conciliare" (meaning "to assemble, unite, win over"), which in turn is from "concilium." ("Council," on the other hand, derives from the Anglo-French "cunseil" or "cuncile," from "concilium.") Other "concilium" descendants in English include "conciliar" ("of, relating to, or issued by a council") and the rare "conciliabule" ("a clandestine meeting especially of conspirators or rebels").

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.