conciliatory
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- conciliatorily adverb
- conciliatoriness noun
- nonconciliatory adjective
- unconciliative adjective
- unconciliatory adjective
Etymology
Origin of conciliatory
First recorded in 1570–80; conciliate + -ory 1
Explanation
If you're in a fight with a friend and you want to end it, you should make a conciliatory gesture, such as inviting her to a party you're having. Conciliatory describes things that make other people less angry. The context is often a situation in which a dispute is settled by compromise. A synonym is propitiatory, though this adjective usually refers to avoiding the anger of someone who has the power to harm. In the word conciliatory, the –ory suffix means "relating to or doing," and the root is from Latin conciliatus, from conciliare "to bring together, win over," from concilium "council."
Vocabulary lists containing conciliatory
Power Prefix: con-
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 2
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The Crucible
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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.
It has been one of the biggest points of contention between Brussels and Washington, but Puzder struck a conciliatory tone after last week's announcement of a "dialogue" between the EU and United States.
From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026
Leo has often been described as a more conciliatory and less confrontational figure than Francis, who clearly emerged from what might be called the center-left of the Latin American church.
From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026
Wall Street traders weren’t alone in advising against chasing the latest batch of conciliatory headlines.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026
He backed off after a somewhat conciliatory phone call with Lurie, in which Trump said the mayor asked him “very nicely” to call off the deployment.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
“Dr. P is here,” Dana’s mother chimes in from behind him, with a slightly more conciliatory tone.
From "Every Day" by David Levithan
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.
