diplomatic

adjective

dip·​lo·​mat·​ic ˌdi-plə-ˈma-tik How to pronounce diplomatic (audio)
1
b
: exactly reproducing the original
a diplomatic edition
2
: of, relating to, or concerned with the art and practice of conducting negotiations between nations : of, relating to, or concerned with diplomacy or diplomats
diplomatic relations
3
: employing tact and conciliation especially in situations of stress
a diplomatic way to say no
diplomatically adverb
Choose the Right Synonym for diplomatic

suave, urbane, diplomatic, bland, smooth, politic mean pleasantly tactful and well-mannered.

suave suggests a specific ability to deal with others easily and without friction.

a suave public relations coordinator

urbane implies high cultivation and poise coming from wide social experience.

an urbane traveler

diplomatic stresses an ability to deal with ticklish situations tactfully.

a diplomatic negotiator

bland emphasizes mildness of manner and absence of irritating qualities.

a bland master of ceremonies

smooth suggests often a deliberately assumed suavity.

a smooth salesman

politic implies shrewd as well as tactful and suave handling of people.

a cunningly politic manager

Examples of diplomatic in a Sentence

Negotiators are working to restore full diplomatic relations. a diplomatic attempt at preventing any hurt feelings
Recent Examples on the Web Meanwhile, there’s a diplomatic scramble to avert full-scale war between Israel and Lebanon. Miriam Berger, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024 Earlier Friday, Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff continued the tradition of hosting Varadkar and his spouse Matthew Barrett at the residence for breakfast ahead of Sunday's holiday to celebrate 100 years of diplomatic relationships. Molly Nagle, ABC News, 15 Mar. 2024 The prospect of such a diplomatic endgame, amid the continuing war in Gaza, remains distant. Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Mar. 2024 This is forcing the industry to rethink its approach to safety. Fentanyl: The drug has become a leading cause of death in the United States, an issue on the presidential campaign trail and the subject of major diplomatic efforts by the Biden administration. Jan Hoffman, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024 The source emphasized that many diplomatic missions in Port-au-Prince do not have the kind of defensive military muscle that the US embassy boasts. Caitlin Stephen Hu, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 Both withdrew their ambassadors in 2018 when violence was sweeping Gaza, only to fully renew diplomatic ties in 2022. John Bacon, USA TODAY, 10 Mar. 2024 Theron has remained diplomatic about Taylor-Joy taking on her Mad Max role while the movie has been in production in recent years. Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 Still, in order to secure its future, Israel must deepen its engagement with the United States on a host of diplomatic and economic initiatives, and to allay U.S. concerns about the humanitarian costs of the war in Gaza. Amos Yadlin, Foreign Affairs, 8 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'diplomatic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

in sense 1, from New Latin diplomaticus, from Latin diplomat-, diploma; in other senses, from French diplomatique connected with documents regulating international relations, from New Latin diplomaticus

First Known Use

1711, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of diplomatic was in 1711

Dictionary Entries Near diplomatic

Cite this Entry

“Diplomatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diplomatic. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

diplomatic

adjective
dip·​lo·​mat·​ic ˌdip-lə-ˈmat-ik How to pronounce diplomatic (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or concerned with diplomacy or diplomats
diplomatic relations
2
: tactful
found a diplomatic way to say no
diplomatically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on diplomatic

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