pacify
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
-
to calm the anger or agitation of; mollify
-
to restore to peace or order, esp by the threat or use of force
Other Word Forms
- nonpacifiable adjective
- pacifiable adjective
- pacifyingly adverb
- repacify verb (used with object)
- unpacifiable adjective
- unpacified adjective
Etymology
Origin of pacify
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Old French pacef(i)ier, pacifier, from Latin pācificāre “to make peace”; pacific, -fy
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.
“What catches on is completely unpredictable, there’s almost a mysterious alchemy to it. What’s clear is this: The regime hasn’t pacified them.”
If the Fed is otherwise confident in its bank-liquidity regulations, there’s no obvious reason pacifying the overnight lending market should be a policy concern.
“It’s impossible to say that the country is being pacified,” said Vargas, who said authorities should consider data from a range of what he called “lethal crimes” to accurately measure violence.
From Los Angeles Times
She wonders if her mother is being “engaged” or merely “pacified” by her companion.
“The myth of Batman is dangerous, especially for Harfuch. Making him a myth imposes on him the responsibility of pacifying the country. But, as we all know, Omar can’t defeat organized crime by himself.”
From Los Angeles Times
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.
