Synonyms

détente

American

[dey-tahnt, dey-tahnt] / deɪˈtɑnt, deɪˈtɑ̃t /

Or detente

noun

plural

détentes

a relaxing of tension, especially between nations, as by negotiations or agreements.

détente British

/ deɪˈtɑːnt, detɑ̃t /

noun

the relaxing or easing of tension, esp between nations

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

détente Cultural

A period of lessening tension between two major national powers, or a policy designed to lessen that tension. Détente presupposes that the two powers will continue to disagree but seeks to reduce the occasions of conflict.

Etymology

Origin of détente

First recorded in 1905–10; from French; detent

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.

Carney has also traveled China, where he negotiated a trade detente with Beijing.

From The Wall Street Journal

Iran has striven since 2023 to uphold the China-brokered detente with the Gulf Arab states, and it is notable that none of those states favor an attack on Iran—they are acutely aware of the potential for extended regional turbulence that undermines their own security.

From Barron's

This year, Carney has also traveled to China, where he negotiated a trade detente with America’s biggest rival.

From The Wall Street Journal

Beijing is considering ways to strike back against any tariffs reimposed under new legal authority—a situation that could bring an abrupt end to a fragile China-U.S. detente.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023