diplomatic
Americanadjective
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of, relating to, or engaged in diplomacy.
diplomatic officials.
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skilled in dealing with sensitive matters or people; tactful.
a counselor who is at all times diplomatic with at-risk students and their parents.
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of or relating to diplomatics.
Much of her diplomatic research involves the private correspondence of President Van Buren.
adjective
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of or relating to diplomacy or diplomats
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skilled in negotiating, esp between states or people
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tactful in dealing with people
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of or relating to diplomatics
Related Words
Diplomatic, politic, tactful imply ability to avoid offending others or hurting their feelings, especially in situations where this ability is important. Diplomatic suggests a smoothness and skill in handling others, usually in such a way as to attain one's own ends and yet avoid any unpleasantness or opposition: By diplomatic conduct he avoided antagonizing anyone. Politic emphasizes expediency or prudence in looking out for one's own interests, thus knowing how to treat people of different types and on different occasions: a truth which it is not politic to insist on. Tactful suggests a nice touch in the handling of delicate matters or situations, and, unlike the other two, often suggests a sincere desire not to hurt the feelings of others: a tactful way of correcting someone.
Other Word Forms
- diplomatically adverb
- nondiplomatic adjective
- prediplomatic adjective
- quasi-diplomatic adjective
- undiplomatic adjective
Etymology
Origin of diplomatic
First recorded in 1705–15; from French diplomatique, from New Latin diplōmaticus, equivalent to Latin diplōmat- (stem of diplōma ) diploma + -icus -ic
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Dar returned to Islamabad on Wednesday with Chinese backing for Pakistan's diplomatic efforts, which saw foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey meet in the Pakistani capital last weekend.
From Barron's
After China took up the mantel as mediator, the two sides agreed to re-establish diplomatic relations.
From BBC
She added that "diplomatic signals remain mixed, and as long as uncertainty persists and shipping disruptions remain in place, oil prices are likely to stay elevated".
From Barron's
The 70-year-old US-born pope has so far shown diplomatic caution and has not directly condemned his home country's role in the turbulent Middle East region.
From Barron's
The diplomatic dispute arises from the ambiguous role that Rwanda, best known to many Americans for the 1994 genocide, now plays as a regional strongman.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
