noun

appeasement

/əˈpiːzmənt/ · say it: uh·PEEZ·muhnt

giving in to demands to avoid conflict

In Politics & Diplomacy

In more detail

1. (noun) the act of giving someone what they want in order to stop them from being angry or causing trouble

2. (noun) a policy of giving in to the demands of an aggressive nation to avoid war

Examples

1. The store offered a refund as appeasement to the angry customer.
2. The government's appeasement of the aggressive country only encouraged further demands.

How to use appeasement

Appeasement typically carries negative connotations, especially in historical and political contexts, referring to the futile or morally questionable strategy of conceding to aggressive demands. While it can describe any act of pacifying an angry person, it most commonly appears in formal discourse about diplomacy and international relations, often implying weakness or failure rather than successful negotiation.

Common phrases

policy of appeasement
appeasement strategy
appeasement fails
appeasement attempts
attempt appeasement

Synonyms

pacification · conciliation · mollification · placation · compromise

Opposites

confrontation · resistance · defiance

Word family

appease (verb) · appeasing (adjective) · appeaser (noun)

A common mistake

Learners sometimes confuse appeasement with simple compromise or negotiation; appeasement specifically implies giving in to unreasonable demands under pressure, whereas negotiation suggests mutual agreement.

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