English Explanatory Dictionary

irenic

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Promoting or fitted to promote peace or peacemaking, especially over disputes; conciliatory, non-confrontational, peaceful.

Pronunciation

/aɪˈɹiːnɪk/ /-ˈɹɛ-/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-irenic.wav /aɪˈɹinɪk/

Word forms

irenic more irenic most irenic eirenic

Etymology

From Ancient Greek εἰρηνικός (eirēnikós, “characterized by peace, peaceful”) + English -ic (suffix forming adjectives with the sense ‘of or pertaining to’). Εἰρηνικός (Eirēnikós) is derived from εἰρήνη (eirḗnē, “peace”) (possibly from εἴρω (eírō, “to fasten together”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“(verb) to bind, tie together; (noun) thread”)), or εἴρω (eírō, “to say, speak”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *werh₁- (“to say, speak”))) + -ῐκός (-ĭkós, suffix forming adjectives with the sense ‘of or pertaining to’).

Synonyms

irenical nonpolemic nonpolemical pacific anti-bellicist dovelike dovish irenic non-violent pacifist pacifistic peaceable peaceful unaggressive

Antonyms

contentious disputatious polemic polemical unirenic agonistic argumentative bangsome bellicose belligerent debateful discordant factious fractious fratchety fratchy litigious logomachic pettifogging quarrelous quarrelsome rantankerous squabbly strifeful unpacific

Related words

eirenarch eirenical eirenicon irenarch Irene irenicon irenology

Derived words

irenical irenically irenicism irenics unirenic
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