Word of the Day

: April 17, 2008

démarche

noun day-MARSH

What It Means

1 a : a course of action : maneuver

b : a diplomatic or political initiative or maneuver

2 : a petition or protest presented through diplomatic channels

démarche in Context

The ambassador delivered a démarche objecting to the regime's harsh treatment of refugees.

Did You Know?

When it comes to international diplomacy, the French may not always have the last word -- but they have quite a few, which they've shared with English. "Démarche," which in French can mean "gait," "walk," or "action," among other things, is one of the earliest of these; we started using it in the 1600s. It was first used generally in the sense of "a maneuver," and before long it developed a specific use in the world of diplomacy. Some of the other diplomacy-related words we use that come from French include "attaché," "chargé d'affaires," "communiqué," "détente," and "agrément" (a word used in diplomatic parlance for approval of a diplomatic representative) -- not to mention the words "diplomacy" and "diplomat" themselves.