Irenic

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ʌɪˈɹɛnɪk/Rhymes: -É›nɪk, -iːnɪk

Origin

From Ancient Greek είρηνικος, from εἰρήνη ("peace").

Full definition of irenic

Adjective

1. (chiefly theology) Promoting or fitted to promote peace; conciliatory, non-confrontational; peaceful.
• 2001, Hywel Williams, The Guardian, 30 Nov 2001:The idea that the Jews of the region are not genetically distinct from other peoples of the area should be an irenic insight.
• 2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin 2003, p. 199:The philosophes contrasted their own irenic calls for tolerance with the church's historical record as the perennial source of cruelty and fanaticism.
• 2011, Steven Pinker, The Better Angels of Our Nature, Penguin 2012, p. 343:The current comity between the United States and China … is a recent reminder of the irenic effects of trade.

Related terms

• irenical
• irenicon
• irenics