diplomacy

di·plo·ma·cy
D2I1P3L1O1M3A1C3Y4
UK/dɪˈpləʊməsi/Canada, US/dɪˈploʊməsi/Australia/dɪˈpləʉməsi/New Zealand/dəˈplɐʉməsi/

noun

The art and practice of conducting international relations by negotiating alliances, treaties, agreements etc., bilaterally or multilaterally, between states and sometimes international organizations, or even between polities with varying status, such as those of monarchs and their princely vassals.

“National diplomacy typically deploys its dexterity to secure advantage for one's nation.”

Less commonScrabble 19

Meanings

noundiplomacy (countable and uncountable, plural diplomacies)

plural diplomacies

  1. countableuncountableThe art and practice of conducting international relations by negotiating alliances, treaties, agreements etc., bilaterally or multilaterally, between states and sometimes international organizations, or even between polities with varying status, such as those of monarchs and their princely vassals.

    National diplomacy typically deploys its dexterity to secure advantage for one's nation.

    1 more example

    Admiral Hackett: Hell of a thing you just pulled off, Commander. Curing the genophage? I never thought I'd see the day. Shepard: Wrex has agreed to help the turians, Admiral. We should get their full support. Admiral Hackett: And the salarians? How did you manage to get them on board? Shepard: Careful diplomacy. Admiral Hackett: Uh-huh… I don’t think I want to know what that means. Doesn't matter. You're starting to put together a real alliance out there. Admiral Hackett: Good work, Commander. Hackett, out.

    2012, BioWare, Mass Effect 3 (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Normandy SR-2

    Synonyms: statesmanship, statecraft

  2. countableuncountableTact and subtle skill in dealing with people so as to avoid or settle hostility.

    As I was talking with many relatives I have in this town I got assaulted with intense probing of whom I was married to, then who is your girlfriend, then it was what do you do for a job? Most of these relatives don't know I'm gay and deflecting these questions put to the test the art of diplomacy.

    1983 August 13, Ray Thomas, “Rural Canada”, in Gay Community News, volume 11, number 5, page 5

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe art and practice of conducting international relations by negotiating alliances, treaties, agreements etc., bilaterally or multilaterally, between states and sometimes international organizations, or even between polities with varying status, such as those of monarchs and their princely vassals.

More synonyms by meaning

nounnegotiation between nations

Similar
diplomatic negotiations

nounsubtly skillful handling of a situation

nounwisdom in the management of public affairs

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latindiploma“a letter of recommendation or authority”
  2. Frenchdiplomatie
  3. Englishdiplomacy

From French diplomatie, a back-formation from diplomatique, ultimately from Latin diploma (“a letter of recommendation or authority”); see diploma.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic دِبْلُومَاسِيَّة
  • دِبْلُومَاسِيَّة (diblūmāsiyya)art of conducting international relations
Bengali কূটনীতি
  • কূটনীতি (kuṭniti)art of conducting international relations
Bulgarian диплома́ция, такт
  • диплома́ция (diplomácija)art of conducting international relations
  • такт (takt)tact and subtle skill in dealing with people
Catalan diplomàcia, diplomàcia
  • diplomàciaart of conducting international relations
  • diplomàciatact and subtle skill in dealing with people
Chinese Cantonese 外交
  • 外交 (ngoi⁶ gaau¹)art of conducting international relations
Chinese Mandarin 外交, 交際手腕 /交际手腕
  • 外交 (wàijiāo)art of conducting international relations
  • 交際手腕 /交际手腕 (jiāojì shǒuwàn)tact and subtle skill in dealing with people
Czech diplomacie, diplomacie
  • diplomacieart of conducting international relations
  • diplomacietact and subtle skill in dealing with people
Danish diplomati, diplomati
  • diplomatiart of conducting international relations
  • diplomatitact and subtle skill in dealing with people
Dutch diplomatie, diplomatie
  • diplomatieart of conducting international relations
  • diplomatietact and subtle skill in dealing with people
Esperanto diplomatio
  • diplomatioart of conducting international relations
Estonian diplomaatia
  • diplomaatiaart of conducting international relations
Finnish diplomatia, diplomatia
  • diplomatiaart of conducting international relations
  • diplomatiatact and subtle skill in dealing with people
  • tahdikkuustact and subtle skill in dealing with people
French diplomatie
  • diplomatieart of conducting international relations
German Diplomatie, Diplomatie
  • Diplomatieart of conducting international relations
  • Diplomatietact and subtle skill in dealing with people
Greek διπλωματία, διπλωματία
  • διπλωματία (diplomatía)art of conducting international relations
  • διπλωματία (diplomatía)tact and subtle skill in dealing with people
Hebrew דִּיפְּלוֹמַטְיָה
  • דִּיפְּלוֹמַטְיָה (diplomátya)art of conducting international relations
Hindi कूटनीति, राजनय
  • कूटनीति (kūṭnīti)art of conducting international relations
  • राजनय (rājnay)art of conducting international relations
Hungarian diplomácia, diplomácia
  • diplomáciaart of conducting international relations
  • diplomáciatact and subtle skill in dealing with people
  • tapintatosságtact and subtle skill in dealing with people
Icelandic diplómati
  • diplómatiart of conducting international relations
Irish taidhleoireacht
  • taidhleoireachtart of conducting international relations
Italian diplomazia, diplomazia
  • diplomaziaart of conducting international relations
  • diplomaziatact and subtle skill in dealing with people
Japanese 外交
  • 外交 (gaikō)art of conducting international relations
Korean 외교
  • 외교 (oegyo)art of conducting international relations
Latin diplōmatia
  • diplōmatiaart of conducting international relations
Latvian diplomātija
  • diplomātijaart of conducting international relations
Lithuanian diplomatija
  • diplomatijaart of conducting international relations
Malay diplomasi
  • diplomasiart of conducting international relations
Norwegian Bokmål diplomati, diplomati
  • diplomatiart of conducting international relations
  • diplomatitact and subtle skill in dealing with people
Polish dyplomacja
  • dyplomacjaart of conducting international relations
Portuguese diplomacia, diplomacia
  • diplomaciaart of conducting international relations
  • diplomaciatact and subtle skill in dealing with people
Romanian diplomație, diplomație
  • diplomațieart of conducting international relations
  • diplomațietact and subtle skill in dealing with people
Russian диплома́тия, диплома́тия
  • диплома́тия (diplomátija)art of conducting international relations
  • диплома́тия (diplomátija)tact and subtle skill in dealing with people
Slovak diplomacia
  • diplomaciaart of conducting international relations
Spanish diplomacia, diplomacia
  • diplomaciaart of conducting international relations
  • diplomaciatact and subtle skill in dealing with people
Swahili diplomasia, diplomasia
  • diplomasiaart of conducting international relations
  • diplomasiatact and subtle skill in dealing with people
Swedish diplomati, diplomati
  • diplomatiart of conducting international relations
  • diplomatitact and subtle skill in dealing with people
Tagalog palatalastasan
  • palatalastasanart of conducting international relations
Thai การทูต
  • การทูต (gaan-tûut)art of conducting international relations
Turkish diplomasi
  • diplomasiart of conducting international relations
Ukrainian диплома́тія
  • диплома́тія (dyplomátija)art of conducting international relations
Urdu سِفارَت, سِفارَت کاری
  • سِفارَت (sifārat)art of conducting international relations
  • سِفارَت کاری (sifārat kārī)art of conducting international relations
Vietnamese ngoại giao
  • ngoại giaoart of conducting international relations
Yiddish שׂכל
  • שׂכל (seykhl)tact and subtle skill in dealing with people
Cite this entry
APA

diplomacy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/diplomacy

MLA

“diplomacy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/diplomacy. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “diplomacy,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/diplomacy.

Source: diplomacy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.