Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A relaxing or easing, as of tension between rivals.
- noun A policy toward a rival nation or bloc characterized by increased diplomatic, commercial, and cultural contact and a desire to reduce tensions, as through negotiation or talks.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A relaxing of tension between major powers, especially the particular thawing of relations between the Soviet Union and the United States following the
Cold War .
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
[French; see detent.]
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Borrowing from French détente, meaning “relaxing”.
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Examples
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the_word_is_what commented on the word détente
Can't forget about Nixon's foreign policy when mentioning this word.
June 12, 2008