conciliatory
adjective
con·cil·ia·to·ry kən-ˈsil-yə-ˌtȯr-ē 
-ˈsi-lē-ə-
: intended to gain goodwill or favor or to reduce hostility : tending or intended to conciliate
speaking in a conciliatory tone
But while the conference call might have been seen as a conciliatory gesture, an olive branch to his critics after weeks of bitter back-and-forth, the meeting seemed anything but.
Colin Deppen
Colin DeppenHe was self-assured, aggressive, combative, at times willing to offend and at times trying to sound conciliatory. Dan Balz
Dan Balz
Did you know?
If you are conciliatory towards someone, you're trying to win that person over to your side. The verb conciliate was borrowed into English in the mid-16th century and descends from the Latin verb conciliare, meaning "to assemble, unite, or win over." Conciliare, in turn, comes from Latin concilium, meaning "assembly" or "council." Conciliatory, which appeared in English a bit later in the 16th century, also traces back to conciliare. Another word that has conciliare as a root is reconcile, the earliest meaning of which is "to restore to friendship or harmony."
Synonyms
- appeasing
- conciliating
- disarming
- mollifying
- pacific
- pacifying
- peacemaking
- placating
- placatory
- propitiatory
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Word History
First Known Use
1576, in the meaning defined above
conciliatory
adjective
as in placatory
tending to lessen or avoid conflict or hostility eased the tension with conciliatory remarks Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- placatory
- conciliating
- mollifying
- placating
- appeasing
- peacemaking
- soothing
- benevolent
- kind
- pacific
- pacifying
- propitiatory
- peaceful
- comforting
- quieting
- gentle
- calming
- disarming
- ingratiating
- relaxing
- kindly
- peaceable
- obliging
- satisfying
- winning
- amiable
- unassertive
- endearing
- passive
- winsome
- unaggressive
- amicable
- nonbelligerent
- tranquilizing
- affable
- agreeable
- tranquillizing
- good-natured
- lulling
- submissive
- genial
- yielding
- good-tempered
- surrendering
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- inflammatory
- provocative
- offensive
- abrasive
- provoking
- hostile
- antagonistic
- exasperating
- aggravating
- irritating
- engaging
- annoying
- frustrating
- irksome
- vexing
- maddening
- confrontational
- combative
- galling
- antagonizing
- belligerent
- nagging
- bellicose
- infuriating
- assertive
- aggressive
- inimical
- antipathetic
- maddening
- pugnacious
- unfriendly
- nettling
- warlike
- inhospitable
- nettlesome
- argumentative
- unsympathetic
- rankling
- contentious
- riling
- quarrelsome
- truculent
- military
- agonistic
- militant
- militaristic
- chafing
- incensing
- martial
- scrappy