conciliate, v.
(kənˈsɪlɪeɪt)
[f. L. conciliāt-, ppl. stem of conciliāre to combine, unite physically or in thought or feeling, to make friendly or agreeable, to recommend, to cause to meet, to procure, acquire, produce; f. concilium convocation, council. (The senses having been already developed in L. appear somewhat disjointedly in Eng.)]
† 1. trans. To procure, acquire, gain, get, as an accession or addition. Obs.
| 1548 Ld. Somerset Epist. Scots A ij b, To still conciliate and heape to your self mooste extreme mischiefes. 1709 Blair in Phil. Trans. XXVII. 132 An admirable contrivance for adding Strength and conciliating length to this Muscle. 1794 G. Adams Nat. & Exp. Philos. III. xxiv. 21 Atoms..can neither conciliate motion to themselves, nor continue in motion longer than they are impelled. |
2. To gain (goodwill, esteem, etc.) by acts which soothe, pacify, or induce friendly feeling. (cf. 6.)
| 1545 Joye Exp. Dan. xi. (R.), Some kinges gaue their daughters to forein kinges in maryage to conciliate amitie. 1637–50 Row Hist. Kirk (1842) 47 Noblemen and Barons..frequent the Assemblie to conciliat the more reuerence and autoritie. 1751 Johnson Rambler No. 180 ¶7 The art of..conciliating or retaining the favour of mankind. 1848 Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. 445 His neglect of the arts which conciliate popularity. 1876 Grote Eth. Fragm. 71 The necessity of conciliating a certain measure of esteem. |
b. of things.
| 1646 Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. 352 A philtre, or plant that conciliates affection. 1656 H. More Enthus. Tri. (1712) 8 Using..Vnguentum populeum to anoint his Temples to conciliate sleep. 1751 Johnson Rambler No. 166 ¶3 Reasons why poverty does not easily conciliate affection. |
c. Const. to, for.
| 1662 More Philos. Writ. Pref. Gen. (1712) 4 Which cannot but conciliate much honour and reverence to the Priesthood. 1751 Johnson Rambler No. 127 ¶1 To conciliate indulgence..to his performances. 1886 Morley Mill Crit. Misc. III. 42 The difficult art of conciliating as much support as was possible, for..unpopular opinions. |
† 3. To make acceptable, recommend. (In quot. refl.) Obs.
| 1615 Chapman Odyss. viii. 541 Euryalus shall here conciliate Himself with words and gifts. |
4. To reconcile, make accordant or compatible.
| 1573 Abp. Parker Corr. (1853) 439, I and Dr. May did conciliate the old statutes and reformed them in King Edward's day. 1624 Gee Foot out of Snare 85 How this ingenuous Iesuite did conciliate such contrary sayings. a 1656 Hales Gold. Rem. iii. (1673) 46 To conciliate you the more to God and your reason. 1776–88 Gibbon Decl. & F. xxii. (Seager), Conciliating the qualities of a soldier with those of a philosopher. 1816 W. Taylor in Monthly Mag. XLI. 502 One method of conciliating the proofs of the execution, with the proofs of the appearance afterwards. 1869 T. L. Phipson tr. Guillemin's The Sun (1870) 233 The attempts which have been made to conciliate the two theories. |
5. † a. intr. To come to a position of friendliness; to make friends with. Obs.
| 1748 Richardson Clarissa (1811) I. 26, I owed him no compliments for trying to conciliate with him. 1769 Junius Lett. i. 6 He was called upon to conciliate and unite. 1775 Burke Corr. (1844) II. 69 There will then appear a remnant left in Great Britain, with whom America may conciliate. |
b. In industrial disputes, etc.: to act as a mediator (between contending parties).
| 1977 Washington Post 31 July a2/5 It could only attempt to conciliate between the employee and the House member. 1980 A.C.A.S. Industrial Relations Handbk. ii. 25 The Board [of Trade] was empowered to conciliate and also to appoint an arbitrator. |
6. trans. To gain over in feeling; to overcome the distrust or hostility of, by soothing and pacifying means; to induce friendly and kindly feelings in; to soothe, placate, pacify. Also absol.
| 1782 Priestley Corrupt. Chr. I. i. 47 Willing to conciliate the one, and yet not to offend the other. 1794 S. Williams Vermont 184 Nature reconciles and conciliates the mind. 1828 D'Israeli Chas. I, I. iv. 83 The..Catholic party..would be conciliated by an English Catholic Queen. 1850 Prescott Peru II. 295 Attempts to conciliate some of the opposite faction by acts of liberality. 1863 Geo. Eliot Romola i. vi, He would never stoop to conciliate: he could never forget an injury. |
b. To make (things) amicable and agreeable; to disarm (objections).
| 1802 M. Edgeworth Moral T. (1816) I. xx. 187 We must make allowances, and conciliate matters. 1884 Manch. Exam. 11 June 4/7 They have done all they can to conciliate objections. |
7. [Mixture of 2 c and 6.] To win over from a position of distrust or hostility to (one's side).
| 1796 Morse Amer. Geog. II. 382 Thus conciliating the army to their side. 1803 Edmonstone in Owen Wellesley's Disp. 320 Every endeavour should be made to conciliate that chief to the interests of the British Government. |