diplomacy
noun
Simple meaning
Tact and subtle skill in dealing with people so as to avoid or settle hostility.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
dihplohmuhseeSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
dɪpˈloʊməsi
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
Tact and subtle skill in dealing with people so as to avoid or settle hostility.
The art and practice of conducting international relations by negotiating alliances, treaties, agreements etc., bilaterally or multilaterally, between states and sometimes international organizations, or even between polities with varying status, such as those of monarchs and their princely vassals.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Tact and subtle skill in dealing with people so as to avoid or settle hostility.
Used this way, diplomacy is a reasonably familiar word with a clearly unfavourable pull. It comes across as direct, sometimes bluntly so.
- Emotional tone
- Negative
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Gentle
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Serious and weighty
- Usage feel
- Blunt and forceful
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use diplomacy
- “Good diplomacy helps countries work together and avoid conflicts peacefully.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Diplomacy influenced by economic considerations.
Diplomacy in which the nations threaten to use force in order to obtain their objectives.
International negotiations conducted by a mediator who frequently flies back and forth between the negotiating parties.
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What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.