propitiatory
Americanadjective
noun
Other Word Forms
- propitiatorily adverb
- unpropitiatory adjective
Etymology
Origin of propitiatory
1275–1325; (noun) Middle English propiciatori the mercy seat < Late Latin propitiātōrium ( propitiate, -tory 2 ); (adj.) < Late Latin propitiātōrius ( -tory 1 )
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.
Ancestors are invoked who around her as she starts the propitiatory dance.
From Time Magazine Archive
There was a brief Cabinet crisis, in which Premier Solh shuffled his ministers in a faintly propitiatory manner.
From Time Magazine Archive
Various propitiatory ceremonies are performed by specialists to secure its good-will.
From Omens and Superstitions of Southern India by Thurston, Edgar
In the heart of mankind there is a tiny shrine with its burning taper; the idol is Self; the propitiatory light is for subliminal foes.
From Unicorns by Huneker, James
The propitiatory offering might be anything from a bunch of cocoanuts covered with turmeric powder to a great feast.
From The Fijians A Study of the Decay of Custom by Thomson, Basil
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.
