Home › Leadership › Conflict Resolution › placate

placate

PLAY-kayt /ˈpleɪkeɪt/

verbC1GRESATACT

FormalLiterary

To make someone less angry or hostile, especially by yielding to their demands or saying soothing things.

Often carries a slightly negative connotation of appeasement—giving in to someone's anger just to keep the peace.

The story behind the word. Derived from the Latin 'placare', meaning to soothe or calm. It is closely related to 'placere' (to please), which is also the ancestor of words like 'pleasant' and 'placebo'.

Word relationships

appease: Appease often implies a weak surrender of principles to satisfy an aggressor, whereas placate is simply calming someone's immediate anger.

provoke: Provoke means to deliberately anger or incite someone, the opposite of placating them.

Commonly confused with

pacify: Pacify means to bring peace to an entire area or group (often by force), while placate is specifically about soothing an individual's anger.

Word family

placatory (adjective): Intended to make someone less angry.
implacable (adjective): Unable to be placated or appeased.

Collocations

placate an angry crowd
try to placate
placate demands

Idioms & expressions

pour oil on troubled waters

Example sentences

"The manager tried to placate the angry customer by offering a full refund." Customer Relations
"The government made several concessions in an attempt to placate the protesters." Political Diplomacy

Memory hook

Placate: Think of putting a 'plate' of cookies in front of an angry person to calm them down. Give them a plate of peace.

When not to use

Do not use if you are resolving a conflict through fair, mutual discussion; placating is often one-sided.

Fun facts

The medical term 'placebo' (an inactive substance given to a patient) comes from the same Latin root, meaning 'I shall please'—designed to placate the patient's desire for medicine.