peacekeeping

P3E1A1C3E1K5E1E1P3I1N1G2
UK/ˈpiːskiːpɪŋ/

noun

The act of preserving peace, specifically between hostile groups or states, especially by a sanctioned military force.

Similar
peacekeeping missionpeacekeeping operation
Less commonFirst used 17th c.Scrabble 23
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Meanings

nounpeacekeeping (usually uncountable, plural peacekeepings)

plural peacekeepings

  1. uncountableusuallyThe act of preserving peace, specifically between hostile groups or states, especially by a sanctioned military force.First known use 17th c.

    Peacekeeping is one of the things that the United Nations, for all its foibles, does well.

    2011, Steven Pinker, The Better Angels of Our Nature, Penguin, published 2012, page 378
  2. uncountableusually(for example) a peacekeeping force.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounthe activity of keeping the peace by military forces (especially when international military forces enforce a truce between hostile groups or nations)

Similar
peacekeeping missionpeacekeeping operation
Broader
operationmilitary operation

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From peace + keeping, after keep the peace.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic حِفْظ سَلَام
  • حِفْظ سَلَام (ḥifẓ salām)preserving peace
Chinese Mandarin 維和 /维和, 維持和平 /维持和平
  • 維和 /维和 (wéihé)preserving peace
  • 維持和平 /维持和平 (wéichí hépíng)preserving peace
Czech udržování míru
  • udržování mírupreserving peace
Dutch peacekeeping
  • peacekeepingpreserving peace
Estonian rahuvalve
  • rahuvalvepreserving peace
Finnish rauhanturvaaminen
  • rauhanturvaaminenpreserving peace
French maintien de la paix
  • maintien de la paixpreserving peace
German Friedenssicherung, Friedenserhaltung
  • Friedenssicherungpreserving peace
  • Friedenserhaltungpreserving peace
Greek διατήρηση της ειρήνης, ειρηνευτικός
  • διατήρηση της ειρήνης (diatírisi tis eirínis)preserving peace
  • ειρηνευτικός (eirineftikós)peacekeeping as a noun modifier
Hungarian békefenntartó
  • békefenntartópreserving peace
Italian mantenimento di pace
  • mantenimento di pacepreserving peace
Japanese 平和維持
  • 平和維持 (heiwa iji)preserving peace
Korean 평화유지
  • 평화유지 (pyeonghwayuji)preserving peace
Norwegian Bokmål fredsbevarende
  • fredsbevarendepeacekeeping as a noun modifier
Persian صُلحبانی
  • صُلحبانی (solh-bâni)preserving peace
Polish utrzymywanie pokoju
  • utrzymywanie pokojupreserving peace
Romanian menținerea păcii
  • menținerea păciipreserving peace
Russian миротво́рчество, миротво́рческий
  • миротво́рчество (mirotvórčestvo)preserving peace
  • миротво́рческий (mirotvórčeskij)peacekeeping as a noun modifier
Slovak udržiavanie mieru
  • udržiavanie mierupreserving peace
Spanish mantenimiento de la paz
  • mantenimiento de la pazpreserving peace
Swedish fredsbevarande, fredsbevarande
  • fredsbevarandepreserving peace
  • fredsbevarandepeacekeeping as a noun modifier
Ukrainian миротво́рство, миротво́рчий
  • миротво́рство (myrotvórstvo)preserving peace
  • миротво́рчий (myrotvórčyj)peacekeeping as a noun modifier
  • миротво́рницький (myrotvórnycʹkyj)peacekeeping as a noun modifier
Vietnamese gìn giữ hòa bình
  • gìn giữ hòa bìnhpreserving peace
Cite this entry
APA

peacekeeping. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/peacekeeping

MLA

“peacekeeping.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/peacekeeping. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “peacekeeping,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/peacekeeping.

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