irenic

adjective

ire·nic | \ ī-ˈre-nik

, -ˈrē-

Definition of irenic

: favoring, conducive to, or operating toward peace, moderation, or conciliation

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Did You Know?

In Greek mythology, Eirene was one of the Horae, the goddesses of the seasons and natural order; in the Iliad the Horae are the custodians of the gates of Olympus. According to Hesiod, the Horae were the daughters of Zeus and a Titaness named Themis, and their names indicate their function and relation to human life. Eirene was the goddess of peace. Her name is also the Greek word for "peace," and it gave rise to irenic and other peaceable terms including irenics (a theological term for advocacy of Christian unity), Irena (the genus name of two species of birds found in southern Asia and the Philippines), and the name Irene.

Examples of irenic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But what, specifically, do these conservatives want, besides a sense of thrill-in-combat that French’s irenic style denies them? — Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, "Ross Douthat Describes the Crisis of the Conservative Coalition," 7 June 2019 Germany has enjoyed a long summer living well and gladly under Mrs Merkel’s irenic inaction. — The Economist, "Europe’s grown-upHow Angela Merkel is changing, and not changing, Germany," 9 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'irenic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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irenic

Definition of irenic

Other Words from irenic

Did You Know?

Examples of irenic in a Sentence

First Known Use of irenic

History and Etymology for irenic

irenic

Definition of irenic

Other Words from irenic

Did You Know?

Examples of irenic in a Sentence

First Known Use of irenic

History and Etymology for irenic

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