peace
/piːs
/noun [mass noun]
1Freedom from disturbance; tranquillity: he just wanted to drink a few beers in peace...
- Now my Sundays are for worship, family, friends, reading, rest, and relaxation-such freedom and peace.
- He said the number of visitors also had a social impact, both on other visitors who went in search of peace and tranquillity, and on the local population.
- There was just something about her that radiated peace, tranquility, and that made her very popular.
Synonyms
tranquillity, calm, calmness, restfulness, peace and quiet, peacefulness, quiet, quietness, quietude, silence, soundlessness, hush, noiselessness, stillness, still;
privacy, privateness, seclusion, solitude, isolation, retirement, lack of disturbance/interruption, freedom from interference
1.1Mental or emotional calm: the peace of mind this insurance gives you...
- Incredible calm and peace of mind come from living in a beautifully organized home.
- The benefits, they say, include improved health, greater energy, stress relief and peace of mind.
- No longer a primary source of food, our gardens may exist simply for pleasure and peace of mind.
Synonyms
serenity, peacefulness, tranquillity, equanimity, calm, calmness, composure, placidity, placidness, rest, repose, ease, comfort, contentment, content, contentedness, security;
bliss, joy, nirvana
2A state or period in which there is no war or a war has ended: the Straits were to be open to warships in time of peace [in singular]: the peace didn’t last...
- It had gained respect and authority by ushering in a period of peace and stability in the city.
- That's what I think Americans can do with this providential period of prosperity and peace.
- The resulting peace agreement included a six-year interim period before a vote on independence.
2.1 [in singular] A treaty agreeing peace between warring states: support for a negotiated peace...
- Finally, in 1842, the Chinese were forced to agree to an ignomious peace under the Treaty of Nanking.
- If Israelis and Palestinians are unwilling or unable to negotiate a workable peace, the international community must take the lead in promoting one.
- We must conduct our affairs in such a way that it becomes in the Communists' interest to agree on a genuine peace.
Synonyms
treaty, truce, ceasefire, armistice, end/cessation/suspension of hostilities, moratorium, agreement, alliance, concord, appeasement, reconciliation
2.2The state of being free from civil disorder: police action to restore peace...
- We know this fight is the way to defend the values that are at the basis of civil life and peace.
- Contention leads to war, and war is the antithesis of civil peace.
- To recognize the right to free association might have meant to deprive hundreds of millions of the right of civil peace.
2.3The state of being free from dissension: the 8.8 per cent offer promises peace with the union...
- They truly were in dire straights, and the offer of peace was very tempting.
- The cash call smacks of poor taste, taking advantage of people's fears and anxieties by making promises of peace.
3 (the peace) A ceremonial handshake or kiss exchanged during a service in some Churches (now usually only in the Eucharist), symbolizing Christian love and unity. See also kiss of peace at kiss.The incomprehensible sermon was long past, and the handshake of peace was next....
- Big hugs or strong handshakes while sharing the peace can be painful for people with arthritis or rheumatic conditions.
- Seek out those with disabilities when passing the peace and extend Christ's welcome.
Phrases
at peace
hold one's peace
keep the peace
make (one's) peace
no peace for the wicked
Origin
Middle English: from Old French pais, from Latin pax, pac- 'peace'.
Peace is from Old French pais, from Latin pax ‘peace’. The phrase no peace for the wicked comes from Isaiah 48:22 (There is no peace to the wicked, saith the Lord). In legal texts, the word pacific (mid 16th century), from the same root, still retains its early meaning ‘free from strife, peaceful’. In 1520 the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan passed through the stormy waters of the strait between what is now Tierra Del Fuego and mainland Chile. To his relief he emerged to calm seas, so called the ocean Mar Pacifico ‘tranquil sea’. The treacherous sound he passed through is still the Strait of Magellan. Pacify (Late Middle English) and pacifism (early 20th century) go back to the same root, as does appease (Middle English), literally ‘bring to a peaceful state’. See also pay
Rhymes
- responser
- response rate
- response set
- response time
- response variable
- responsibility
- responsible
- responsible government
- responsibleness
- responsibly
- responsive
- responsively
- responsiveness
- Responsivist
- responsivity
- responsor
- responsorial
- responsorially
- responsory
- responsum
- respray
- re-spread
- respring
- respringing
- unresembling