dovish

American  

[duhv-ish] / ˈdʌv ɪʃ /

Also dovelike

adjective

1. (especially of a person in public office) advocating peace, compromise, or a conciliatory national attitude.

   Mr. Weizman made his name as one of Israel's most celebrated fighting men, yet he worked to transform himself into a dovish politician.

2. Economics. advocating low interest rates or other monetary policies aimed at reducing unemployment rather than inflation.

   With the jobless rate in double digits, the same dovish remarks can be expected from other Federal Reserve officials.

3. like or resembling a dove or any of the bird’s typical features or behaviors.

   The sofa fabric is a soft dovish gray.

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Other Word Forms

• dovishness noun

Etymology

Origin of dovish

dov(e) ¹ ( def. ) + -ish ¹

Compare meaning

How does dovish compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• dovish vs. hawkish

Explanation

Someone who's dovish favors political policies that promote peace, rather than conflict with other countries. A dovish president is more likely to sign peace treaties than to start a war. While dovish can mean simply "peaceful and innocent," it's much more common to find it in political writing or speech, particularly in contrast to hawkish. Dovish advisors and cabinet members can influence a government to strive for peaceful resolutions to conflict, while hawkish politicians tend to favor aggressive policies. This political meaning dates from the 1960s.

Example Sentences

The joker in the global fixed-income deck is the possibility that the Fed could reverse a dovish trajectory to raise rates again in response to war-related inflationary pressures, Al-Hussainy adds.

From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026

“Given that we are into year six of meaningfully above-target inflation, Fed officials may be slower than otherwise to embrace a dovish stance in this instance,” Feroli said in a research note.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 9, 2026

“I think there’s going to be dovish data this month, because the tariffs were overturned and we know the trend in CPI has been soft and we have concerns about the job market,” he said.

From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026

TOKYO—Japan’s government has nominated candidates for two positions at the central bank, a move that could be viewed as a chance to influence monetary policy in a more dovish direction.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026

Johnson griped, “That military genius, McNamara, has gone dovish on me.”

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin