peacemaker
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of peacemaker
late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at peace, maker
Explanation
A peacemaker is a person who helps others solve a conflict and reach a peaceful solution. Of course Gandhi was a famous peacemaker, but even the volunteer on playground patrol can act as a peacemaker too. An individual can be a peacemaker, and there are also organizations that work as peacemakers. If two countries are engaged in a long war, for example, peacemakers might help negotiate a truce. Diplomats and mediators are peacemakers, and if you help your angry sisters come to a peaceable agreement about whose turn it is to take out the trash, you're a peacemaker too.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"His desire to be seen as a peacemaker affected how he handled the May 2025 conflict."
From BBC • May 7, 2026
You can’t have peace if there is no peacemaker on the other side.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
Now, with a round of talks concluded in Islamabad and frantic negotiations underway to secure a second go, Pakistan is basking in its new role as a regional peacemaker, analysts say.
From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026
In reality, he was never a real peacemaker.
From Salon • Mar. 16, 2026
Among her brood of six, Reggie was the quiet charmer, a peacemaker, sensitive with a dry wit, both athletic and awkward, honest.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
