What does conciliate mean?
To conciliate is to win over someone who is angry, hostile, or opposed — typically by making concessions, offering reassurance, or demonstrating goodwill. A government might concilate disgruntled voters with tax relief, or a manager might conciliate an upset employee with a sincere apology. The verb also has a second sense: to bring disputing parties into agreement or harmony. Conciliate is distinctly formal vocabulary, most at home in journalism, politics, diplomacy, and workplace writing rather than casual conversation. Compared with 'appease' or 'placate', it tends to carry more positive overtones, suggesting tactful negotiation rather than timid surrender. The word derives from the Latin 'conciliare' ('to bring together, to unite'), the same root that produced 'council' via 'concilium'. Its derivatives include 'conciliation' (the act or process), 'conciliator' (one who conciliates), and 'conciliatory' (describing gestures intended to soothe). For anyone describing conflict resolution with precision, it is a valuable word.
To win over or placate someone who is angry or opposed, especially by making concessions or showing goodwill.
"The company raised wages in an effort to conciliate its workforce."
Typically transitive; formal register.
To reconcile or bring into harmony parties that are in disagreement.
"The mediator worked tirelessly to conciliate the two feuding families."
Conciliate comes from the Latin 'conciliare', meaning 'to bring together' — and its Latin cousin 'concilium' gave us the word 'council', so every time you smooth over an argument you're literally calling people together.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of conciliate
Conciliate comes from the Latin verb 'conciliare', meaning 'to bring together, unite, or win over', itself derived from 'concilium' ('an assembly or meeting'), the root that also gives us 'council'. The word entered English in the early 17th century, initially carrying the sense of bringing things or people into union. Over time it developed its dominant modern sense of soothing or winning over an angry or hostile person, and it remains closely related to 'reconcile', which shares the same underlying idea of restoring harmony.
Related word forms
How conciliate is actually used
Conciliate is formal in register, appearing mostly in political, diplomatic, labour-relations, and journalistic writing. Unlike 'appease', which often implies weak capitulation, 'conciliate' carries a generally positive connotation of skilful diplomacy and genuine goodwill. It is typically used transitively: one conciliates a person or group.
Easily confused with conciliate
Reconcile means to restore a relationship to friendly terms, while conciliate means to soothe or win over an angry party, often by yielding concessions.
Appease means to pacify by giving in to demands (often with negative connotations of weakness), whereas conciliate emphasizes winning goodwill through tact and concession.