armistice

[ ahr-muh-stis ]

noun

1. a temporary suspension of hostilities by agreement of the warring parties; truce:

   World War I ended with the armistice of 1918.

armistice

/ ˈɑːmɪstɪs /

noun

1. an agreement between opposing armies to suspend hostilities in order to discuss peace terms; truce

Other Words From

• post·armi·stice noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of armistice¹

First recorded in 1670–80; from French, from Medieval Latin armistitium, equivalent to Latin armi- (combining form of arma “weapons, arms, instruments of war”) + -stitium “a stopping” ( stit- being a variant stem of sistere “to stop,” and modeled on Latin solstitium “solstice”) + -ium neuter of -ius adjective and noun suffix; arm ², solstice, stand, -ium

Word History and Origins

Origin of armistice¹

C18: from New Latin armistitium, from Latin arma arms + sistere to stop, stand still

Example Sentences

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918 when the armistice was signed, over 20 million people had lost their lives.

From Washington Blade

As an exit strategy, he is probably hoping the west will simply pressure the Ukrainian people into accepting an armistice that gives Russia de jure control over 20% of their nation.

From Time

That the armistice in Watts held for a decade was remarkable.

From Time

Their enduring curiosity revealed the truth of the words uttered by an anguished nurse when the armistice was declared in November 1918, amid an influenza pandemic that left her with no spirit to celebrate.

From Washington Post

Life along the Armistice line showcases some of the worst excesses of both sides.

From The Daily Beast

By the time the Armistice was signed in 1918, a British woman aged 16-32 stood only a one-in-ten chance of marriage.

From The Daily Beast

After the Armistice, Brazier hosted one of her popular pig roasts at Col de la Luère, hiring a clown and a marching band.

From The Daily Beast

The fighting had stopped with nothing more solid than an armistice.

From The Daily Beast

Legal jurisdiction would go in accordance with the 1949 armistice agreement.

From The Daily Beast

It was a direct lie to tell the Austrian commander that an armistice had been arranged and the bridge ceded to the French.

From Project Gutenberg

So an armistice was agreed to on June 26, and representatives of both sides met to discuss terms.

From Project Gutenberg

At Stettin, during the armistice, he entered the fortress and tried to seduce the governor, an ex-Jacobin and erstwhile friend.

From Project Gutenberg

The burial of 3,000 Turks by armistice at Anzac seems to have been carried out without a hitch.

From Project Gutenberg

Meanwhile, unknown to the Marshal, the Emperor had accepted the Czar's demands for an armistice.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• ceasefire
• truce