peace

Formspeaces, peacing, peaced

1. 1
   noununcountable

   A condition in which there is no war or armed conflict, whether between countries or within one.

   Decades of diplomacy finally brought lasting peace to the divided nation.

   The fragile peace held for only a few months before fighting resumed.

   Similartruce, ceasefire

   Oppositewar, violence

   Note

   Oliver Lindsay's Once a Grenadier (1996) describes 'an uneasy peace' descending on Northern Ireland after the IRA ceasefire of August 1994. Peace between armed sides can be partial or provisional, which is why adjectives so often qualify it. Source

   Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

   • Oliver Lindsay wrote Once a Grenadier. collections.reading.ac.uk
   • The IRA called a ceasefire in August 1994. education.niassembly.gov.uk
2. 2
   inner calmnoununcountable

   A mental state free from troubling or distressing thoughts and feelings.

   He found peace only after forgiving the people who had wronged him.

   A long walk in the woods brought her the peace she had been missing.

   UsageCommon in peace of mind; also find peace, some peace.

   Similarserenity, calm, tranquility, contentment

   Oppositeanxiety, turmoil, distress, irritation

3. 3
   noununcountable

   A condition of calm, quiet, and harmony, such as the absence of public unrest or disorder.

   A deep peace settled over the valley once the crowds had gone home.

   Extra officers were sent downtown to keep the peace after the championship game.

   UsageCommon in keep the peace and peace and quiet.

   Similarcalm, quiet, tranquility, stillness, order

   Oppositenoise, disruption

   Note

   Poetry has an older native synonym, frith, and the King James Bible of 1611 sets peace directly against 'a sword'. Source

   Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 4 facts

   • Frith is a native English synonym inherited from Old English. en.wiktionary.org
   • Frith has poetic use meaning peace. en.wiktionary.org
   • The King James Bible was first published in 1611. en.wikisource.org
   • The King James Bible directly contrasts peace with a sword in Matthew 10:34. en.wikipedia.org
4. 4
   noununcountable

   A state of harmony and good feeling between people in their relationships.

   Hoping to keep the peace at the holiday dinner, she let her uncle's rude comment pass without a reply.

   They made peace after years of not speaking to each other.

   UsageOften make peace with someone, keep the peace, be at peace with.

   Similarharmony, accord, concord

   Oppositeconflict, discord, hostility

5. 5
   deathnouneuphemisticfigurativelyuncountable

   A gentle, figurative way of referring to death, used to soften talk of someone dying.

   The family gathered at the graveside, praying that their grandmother would rest in peace after her long illness.

   The priest asked the mourners to pray that their friend would rest in peace.

   UsageUsually in rest in peace or at peace, rarely alone.

   Similarrest

   Note

   A softening word that lets speakers talk about dying without naming it. It tends to sit inside a phrase such as at peace or rest in peace rather than stand alone. Tennyson, in In Memoriam (1850), imagines sinking 'to peace' as dropping into 'vacant darkness' and simply ceasing. That shows the trade the euphemism makes: death described as stillness rather than loss. Use it for comfort, not for plain fact. Source

   Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts

   • Tennyson wrote In Memoriam, first published in 1850. en.wikisource.org
   • The poem describes sinking to peace as dropping into vacant darkness and ceasing. uwyo.edu

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