Word of the Day

: September 6, 2009

irenic

adjective eye-REN-ik

What It Means

: favoring, conducive to, or operating toward peace, moderation, or conciliation

irenic in Context

In an irenic gesture, the country has withdrawn its military forces from the border.

Did You Know?

In Greek mythology, Eirene was one of the Horae, the goddesses of the seasons and natural order; in the Iliad the Horae are the custodians of the gates of Olympus. According to Hesiod, the Horae were the daughters of Zeus and a Titaness named Themis, and their names indicate their function and relation to human life. Eirene was the goddess of peace. Her name is also the Greek word for "peace," and it gave rise to "irenic" and other peaceable terms including "irenics" (a theological term for advocacy of Christian unity), "Irena" (the genus name of two species of birds found in southern Asia and the Philippines), and the name "Irene."