diplomacy

From French diplomatie, a back-formation from diplomatique, ultimately from Latin diploma (“letter of recommendation or authority”); see diploma.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /dɪˈpləʊməsi/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /dɪˈploʊməsi/

• Audio (CA)

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• Hyphenation: di‧plo‧ma‧cy

diplomacy (countable and uncountable, plural diplomacies)

1. The art and practice of conducting international relations by negotiating alliances, treaties, agreements etc., bilaterally or multilaterally, between states and sometimes international organizations, or even between polities with varying status, such as those of monarchs and their princely vassals.

   Synonyms: statesmanship, statecraft

   Hyponyms: commodity diplomacy, dollar diplomacy, gastrodiplomacy, gunboat diplomacy, hostage diplomacy, ping-pong diplomacy, panda diplomacy

   National diplomacy typically deploys its dexterity to secure advantage for one's nation.

   • 2012, BioWare, Mass Effect 3 (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Normandy SR-2:

     Admiral Hackett: Hell of a thing you just pulled off, Commander. Curing the genophage? I never thought I'd see the day.
     Shepard: Wrex has agreed to help the turians, Admiral. We should get their full support.
     Admiral Hackett: And the salarians? How did you manage to get them on board?
     Shepard: Careful diplomacy.
     Admiral Hackett: Uh-huh… I don’t think I want to know what that means. Doesn't matter. You're starting to put together a real alliance out there.
     Admiral Hackett: Good work, Commander. Hackett, out.

2. Tact and subtle skill in dealing with people so as to avoid or settle hostility.
   • 1983 August 13, Ray Thomas, “Rural Canada”, in Gay Community News, volume 11, number 5, page 5:

     As I was talking with many relatives I have in this town I got assaulted with intense probing of whom I was married to, then who is your girlfriend, then it was what do you do for a job? Most of these relatives don't know I'm gay and deflecting these questions put to the test the art of diplomacy.

• “diplomacy”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “diplomacy”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.