An adjective meaning tending to placate or pacify — describing something designed to calm tension, soothe an upset person, or defuse a conflict. Placative gestures, words, or tones are the social lubricants we reach for when things get heated and someone needs to feel heard before the argument escalates further. More common in American English, placative is the quieter cousin of 'conciliatory' and does the same work in fewer syllables.
His placative tone during the meeting helped smooth things over before the disagreement turned into a full argument.
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(chiefly, _, US) That placates; pacifying.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.