tr.v., -fied, -fy·ing, -fies.
- To ease the anger or agitation of.
- To end war, fighting, or violence in; establish peace in.
[Middle English pacifien, from Old French pacifier, from Latin pācificāre : pāx, pāc-, peace + -ficāre, -fy.]
pacifiable pac'i·fi'a·ble adj.SYNONYMS pacify, mollify, conciliate, appease, placate. These verbs refer to allaying another's anger, belligerence, discontent, or agitation. To pacify is to restore calm to or establish peace in: "The explanation . . . was merely an invention framed to pacify his guests" (Charlotte Brontë). An army was required in order to pacify the islands. Mollify stresses the soothing of hostile feelings: The therapist mollified the angry teenager by speaking gently. Conciliate implies winning over, often by reasoning and with mutual concessions: "A wise government knows how to enforce with temper or to conciliate with dignity" (George Grenville). Appease and placate suggest satisfying claims or demands or tempering antagonism, often by granting concessions: I appeased my friend's anger with a compliment. A sincere apology placated the indignant customer.
