Library / English Dictionary

CONCILIATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Make (one thing) compatible with (another)

Example:

The scientists had to accommodate the new results with the existing theories

Synonyms:

accommodate; conciliate; reconcile

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "conciliate" is one way to...):

harmonise; harmonize (bring (several things) into consonance or relate harmoniously)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something PP

Sense 2

Meaning:

Come to terms

Example:

After some discussion we finally made up

Synonyms:

conciliate; make up; patch up; reconcile; settle

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "conciliate" is one way to...):

agree; concord; concur; hold (be in accord; be in agreement)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "conciliate"):

appease; propitiate (make peace with)

make peace (end hostilities)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

conciliation (any of various forms of mediation whereby disputes may be settled short of arbitration)

conciliation (the state of manifesting goodwill and cooperation after being reconciled)

conciliative; conciliatory (intended to placate)

conciliatory (making or willing to make concessions)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of

Example:

She managed to mollify the angry customer

Synonyms:

appease; assuage; conciliate; gentle; gruntle; lenify; mollify; pacify; placate

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Hypernyms (to "conciliate" is one way to...):

calm; calm down; lull; quiet; quieten; still; tranquilize; tranquillise; tranquillize (make calm or still)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sentence example:

The performance is likely to conciliate Sue

Derivation:

conciliation (the act of placating and overcoming distrust and animosity)

conciliation (the state of manifesting goodwill and cooperation after being reconciled)

conciliative (intended to placate)

conciliator (someone who tries to bring peace)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Again and again, as he looked at each brutal performance, the lesson was driven home to Buck: a man with a club was a lawgiver, a master to be obeyed, though not necessarily conciliated.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

I pass over Mr. Wickfield's proposing my aunt, his proposing Mr. Dick, his proposing Doctors' Commons, his proposing Uriah, his drinking everything twice; his consciousness of his own weakness, the ineffectual effort that he made against it; the struggle between his shame in Uriah's deportment, and his desire to conciliate him; the manifest exultation with which Uriah twisted and turned, and held him up before me.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)