diplomatic

D2I1P3L1O1M3A1T1I1C3
US/ˌdɪpləˈmætɪk/

adjective

Concerning the relationships between the governments of countries.

“She spent thirty years working for Canada's diplomatic service.”

Opposite
CommonScrabble 17

Meanings

adjectivediplomatic (comparative more diplomatic, superlative most diplomatic)

comparative more diplomatic · superlative most diplomatic · alternative dated diplomatical · alternative obsolete diplomatick

  1. Concerning the relationships between the governments of countries.

    She spent thirty years working for Canada's diplomatic service.

    2 more examples

    Albania immediately severed diplomatic relations with Zimbabwe.

    Born in 1950 towards the end of the Stalin era to diplomatic parents, he was educated at the elite Russian Institute of International Relations before ascending to become Russia’s envoy at the UN, where for a decade he lived through the trauma of the collapse of the Soviet Union.

    2022 November 15, Patrick Wintour, “Sergei Lavrov, a fixture of Russian diplomacy facing his toughest test in Ukraine”, in The Guardian
  2. Exhibiting diplomacy; exercising tact or courtesy; using discussion to avoid hard feelings, fights or arguments.

    Thoughtful corrections can be diplomatic as well as instructional.

  3. Describing a publication of a text which follows a single basic manuscript, but with variants in other manuscripts noted in the critical apparatus.
  4. Relating to diplomatics, or the study of old texts; paleographic.
noundiplomatic (uncountable)

alternative dated diplomatical · alternative obsolete diplomatick

  1. uncountableThe science of diplomas, or the art of deciphering ancient writings and determining their age, authenticity, etc.; paleography.

    In its broadest aspect, the subject-matter of diplomatic is the relation between documents and facts.

    1983, Theodore Frank Thomas Plucknett, Studies in English legal history, page 151

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveusing or marked by tact in dealing with sensitive matters or people

Opposite

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. New Latindiplōmaticus
  2. Frenchdiplomatique
  3. Englishdiplomatic

From French diplomatique and its etymon New Latin diplōmaticus. By surface analysis, diplomat + -ic.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans diplomatiese, diplomaties
  • diplomatieseconcerning relationships between governments
  • diplomatiesexhibiting diplomacy
  • diplomatieserelating to diplomatics
Arabic دِبْلُومَاسِيّ
  • دِبْلُومَاسِيّ (diblūmāsiyy)concerning relationships between governments
Bulgarian дипломатически, дипломатичен
  • дипломатически (diplomatičeski)concerning relationships between governments
  • дипломатичен (diplomatičen)exhibiting diplomacy
Catalan diplomàtic, diplomàtic
  • diplomàticconcerning relationships between governments
  • diplomàticexhibiting diplomacy
Chinese Mandarin 外交
  • 外交 (wàijiāo)concerning relationships between governments
Czech diplomatický, diplomatický
  • diplomatickýconcerning relationships between governments
  • diplomatickýexhibiting diplomacy
Dutch diplomatiek
  • diplomatiekconcerning relationships between governments
Esperanto diplomatia, diplomata
  • diplomatiaconcerning relationships between governments
  • diplomataexhibiting diplomacy
Estonian diplomaatiline
  • diplomaatilineconcerning relationships between governments
Finnish diplomaattinen, diplomaattinen
  • diplomaattinenconcerning relationships between governments
  • diplomaattinenexhibiting diplomacy
  • tahdikasexhibiting diplomacy
French diplomatique, diplomatique
  • diplomatiqueconcerning relationships between governments
  • diplomatiqueexhibiting diplomacy
German diplomatisch, diplomatisch
  • diplomatischconcerning relationships between governments
  • diplomatischexhibiting diplomacy
Greek διπλωματικός
  • διπλωματικός (diplomatikós)concerning relationships between governments
Hindi राजनयिक, अंताराज्यनैतिक
  • राजनयिक (rājanyik)concerning relationships between governments
  • अंताराज्यनैतिक (antārājyanaitik)concerning relationships between governments
  • कूटनैतिक (kūṭnaitik)exhibiting diplomacy
Hungarian diplomatikus, diplomáciai
  • diplomatikusconcerning relationships between governments
  • diplomáciaiconcerning relationships between governments
  • diplomatikusexhibiting diplomacy
  • oklevéltanirelating to diplomatics
  • diplomatikairelating to diplomatics
Indonesian diplomatik, diplomatis
  • diplomatikconcerning relationships between governments
  • diplomatisexhibiting diplomacy
Italian diplomatico, diplomatico
  • diplomaticoconcerning relationships between governments
  • diplomaticoexhibiting diplomacy
Japanese 外交的
  • 外交的 (gaikōteki)concerning relationships between governments
Korean 외교적
  • 외교적 (oegyojeok)concerning relationships between governments
Latin diplōmaticus
  • diplōmaticusconcerning relationships between governments
Latvian diplomātisks
  • diplomātisksconcerning relationships between governments
Lithuanian diplomatinis
  • diplomatinisconcerning relationships between governments
Māori arero taiaha, whakahangahanga
  • arero taiahaconcerning relationships between governments
  • whakahangahangaexhibiting diplomacy
  • arero taiahaexhibiting diplomacy
Persian دیپلماتیک
  • دیپلماتیک (diplomâtik)concerning relationships between governments
Polish dyplomatyczny, dyplomatyczny
  • dyplomatycznyconcerning relationships between governments
  • dyplomatycznyexhibiting diplomacy
Portuguese diplomático, diplomático
  • diplomáticoconcerning relationships between governments
  • diplomáticoexhibiting diplomacy
Romanian diplomatic
  • diplomaticconcerning relationships between governments
Russian дипломати́ческий, дипломати́чный
  • дипломати́ческий (diplomatíčeskij)concerning relationships between governments
  • дипломати́чный (diplomatíčnyj)exhibiting diplomacy
Slovak diplomatický
  • diplomatickýconcerning relationships between governments
Spanish diplomático, diplomático
  • diplomáticoconcerning relationships between governments
  • diplomáticoexhibiting diplomacy
Swedish diplomatisk, diplomatisk
  • diplomatiskconcerning relationships between governments
  • diplomatiskexhibiting diplomacy
Tagalog palatalastasin
  • palatalastasinconcerning relationships between governments
Ukrainian дипломати́чний
  • дипломати́чний (dyplomatýčnyj)concerning relationships between governments
Urdu سفارتی, سفارتی
  • سفارتی (sifāratī)concerning relationships between governments
  • سفارتی (sifāratī)exhibiting diplomacy
Vietnamese ngoại giao
  • ngoại giaoconcerning relationships between governments
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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