peace definition

English

Etymology

From Middle English pees, pes, pais, borrowed from Anglo-Norman peis and Old French pais (“peace”), from Latin pāx (“peace”), from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂ḱ- (“to fasten, stick, place”), related to Latin pacīscor (“agree, stipulate”), Latin pangō (“fasten, fix”); see pact. Displaced native Middle English frith, frede (“peace”) (from Old English friþ, frēod (“peace”)), Middle English sib, sibbe (“peace”) (from Old English sibb (“peace, kinship”)), Middle English grith (“peace, security”) (from Old English griþ and Old Norse grið), Middle English saht, saught (“peace, reconciliation”) (from Old English seht, sæht (“peace, pact, agreement”)). Doublet of pax.

Pronunciation

• enPR: pēs, IPA^(key): /piːs/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːs
• Homophone: piece

Noun

peace (usually uncountable, plural peaces)

1. A state of tranquility, quiet, and harmony; absence of violence. For instance, a state free from civil disturbance.

   Synonyms: (poetic) frith; see also Thesaurus:calm

   Antonyms: disruption, violence

   • 2001, Carol Stream, Unshaken:

     Naomi boasted in nothing but the God of Israel. And she found peace even in the midst of chaos when she went to Him in prayer.

   Our lounge strives to maintain an environment of peace for the comfort of our customers.

2. A state free of oppressive and unpleasant thoughts and emotions.

   The safety equipment will give me some peace of mind.

3. Harmony in personal relations.
4. A state free of war, in particular war between different countries.

   Antonyms: war, violence

   • 1969 March 31, John Lennon, Bagism Press Conference at Sacher Hotel, Vienna

     Now, a lot of cynics have said, “Oh, it’s easy to sit in bed for seven days,” but I’d like some of them to try it, and talk for seven days about peace. All we’re saying is give peace a chance.

   • 1993, Marky Berry as "King Harkinian", a character in Animation Magic, Link: The Faces of Evil, Philips Interactive Media (publ.).

     My boy, this peace is what all true warriors strive for.

   • 2013 July 20, “Old soldiers?”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845:

     Whether modern, industrial man is less or more warlike than his hunter-gatherer ancestors is impossible to determine. […] One thing that is true, though, is that murder rates have fallen over the centuries, as policing has spread and the routine carrying of weapons has diminished. Modern society may not have done anything about war. But peace is a lot more peaceful.

   May there be peace in our time.

Derived terms

Pages starting with “peace”.

Related terms

• pacific
• pacify
• pacification
• pacifism
• pacifist

Translations

Interjection

peace

1. (archaic) Shut up!, silence!; be quiet, be silent.
   • 1848, Charles Dickens, Dombey and Son

     “Hark!” said the old woman, triumphantly. “I hear a step coming. […] Do you hear him?”
     “I believe you are right, mother,” replied Alice, in a low voice. “Peace! open the door.”

   • 1882, Mark Twain, chapter 6, in The Prince and the Pauper:

     "Peace, my lord, thou utterest treason! Hast forgot the king's command? Remember I am party to thy crime, if I but listen."

2. (slang) Peace out; goodbye.

Verb

peace (third-person singular simple present peaces, present participle peacing, simple past and past participle peaced)

1. To make peace; to put at peace; to be at peace.
   • 1997, Yusuf Jah, Shah'Keyah Jah, Uprising, page 49:

     Within every hood they have to be peacing with themselves. Then when you're living in peace with yourself, [...]

   • 2006, Wayne Grady, Bringing back the dodo: lessons in natural and unnatural history:

     In another northern species, ptarmigan, such a see-saw pattern between warring and peacing has indeed been observed by researchers.

2. (slang) To peace out.
   • 2012, Jens Lapidus, Easy Money:

     Fuck, man. Yeah, I know. He crashed with this guy, Eddie. Then the cops called me in. That's when he peaced. I swear on my father's grave, I don't know where he went. I swear.

Further reading

Wikiversity

• peace in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• peace in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911