peace S2 W2 /piːs/ BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ peace , ↑ peacefulness , ↑ pacifier , ↑ pacifism , ↑ pacifist ; adjective : ↑ peaceful , ↑ peaceable , ↑ pacifist ; adverb : ↑ peacefully , ↑ peaceably ; verb : ↑ pacify ]
[ Date: 1100-1200 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: pais , from Latin pax ]
1 . NO WAR [singular, uncountable] a situation in which there is no war or fighting:
The country is at peace with its neighbours for the first time in years.
By the end of the century, France had made peace with Britain.
a city where people of different religions have lived together in peace for centuries
efforts to bring peace to the region
a dangerous situation which threatens world peace
peace between
a lasting peace between the two sides
An uneasy peace continued until 1939.
the Northern Ireland peace talks
an international peace conference
the peace treaty that ended the First World War
the Middle East peace process
2 . NO NOISE/INTERRUPTIONS [uncountable] a very quiet and pleasant situation in which you are not interrupted
in peace
I’ll leave you now and let you get dressed in peace.
I wish she would just leave me in peace.
All I want is some peace and quiet.
3 . CALM/NOT WORRIED [uncountable] a feeling of being calm, happy, and not worried:
the search for inner peace
Having household insurance is supposed to give you peace of mind.
Lynn seems to be more at peace with herself these days (=calm, satisfied, no longer worried about anything) .
4 . make (your) peace with somebody to end a quarrel with a person or group, especially by telling them you are sorry:
Ann wanted to make her peace with her father before he died.
5 . keep the peace to stop people from fighting, arguing, or causing trouble:
The US is sending troops overseas in order to keep the peace.
6 . hold/keep your peace formal old-fashioned to keep quiet even though you would like to say something
7 . disturb the peace law to behave in a noisy or violent way:
Macklin was charged with disturbing the peace.
⇨ breach of the peace at ↑ breach 1 (5)
8 . rest in peace words that are said during a funeral service for someone who has died, or written on a ↑ gravestone ⇨ RIP
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COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 1)
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + peace
▪ world peace
The regime poses a threat to world peace.
▪ a lasting/permanent peace
He has the chance to forge a lasting peace with the Palestinians.
▪ an uneasy peace (=when people have agreed to stop fighting, but the situation is not really calm)
An uneasy peace prevails in the region.
▪ a fragile peace (=not likely to last)
The fragile peace between the government and the student protestors broke when military police arrested their leader.
■ peace + NOUN
▪ peace talks/negotiations
A fourth round of peace talks will begin on Monday.
▪ a peace conference
Will the US be sending a delegate to the Middle East peace conference?
▪ a peace treaty/agreement/accord
The formal signing of the peace agreement took place in Lisbon on May 31.
▪ a peace settlement/deal
It is difficult to see how a peace settlement can be achieved.
▪ a peace plan
The leadership rejected the peace plan.
▪ the peace process
Britain is still committed to the peace process.
▪ the peace movement (=people who work together to achieve peace, and the things they do)
As a young man, he was involved in the peace movement.
▪ a peace campaigner/protester/activist
Several peace campaigners were arrested at the demonstration.
▪ a peace rally (=large public meeting in support of peace)
CND organised a massive peace rally in Trafalgar Square attended by over a million people.
▪ a peace envoy (=a government representative)
The EU is sending a special peace envoy to the area.
▪ a peace mission (=officials who are sent by their government to another country to discuss peace)
India’s prime minister sent a peace mission to the Gulf.
■ verbs
▪ make peace (with somebody) (=agree to stop fighting)
Hardliners criticized the Israeli prime minister for trying to make peace with the Palestinians.
▪ bring peace to a place
She was praised for her efforts to bring peace to the region.
▪ restore peace
The emperor’s brother was able to restore peace in the troubled areas.
▪ maintain peace
They’re trying to maintain peace.
▪ live in peace (with somebody)
I hope we can learn to live in peace.
▪ be at peace (with somebody) (=not be involved in a war)
Officially England was at peace with Spain.
■ phrases
▪ peace and security
The UN was designed to uphold global peace and security.
▪ peace and stability
The people of Congo richly deserve peace and stability.
▪ peace and prosperity
We have had eight years of peace and prosperity.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 2)
■ phrases
▪ peace and quiet
We love the peace and quiet here.
▪ peace and tranquillity
People come here to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of this lovely area.
▪ a haven of peace (=a very peaceful place)
Your home should be a haven of peace.
■ verbs
▪ leave somebody in peace
Answer my question, and then I'Il leave you in peace.
▪ disturb the peace (=end or spoil it)
Only church bells disturbed the peace.
▪ shatter the peace literary (=suddenly end it)
A cry rent the air, shattering the peace.
▪ peace reigns literary (=there is peace in a place)
Peace and tranquillity reign in the well-kept grounds.
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THESAURUS
▪ peace a situation in which there is no war or fighting:
There has been peace in the region for six years now.
▪ truce an agreement to stop fighting or arguing with each other for a limited period of time:
The rebels have ended a 17-month-old truce.
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He called for a truce between Israeli and Palestinian forces.
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There was an uneasy truce between Lily and Stephen at dinner.
▪ ceasefire an agreement to stop fighting for a limited period of time, especially in order to discuss making peace:
The two sides agreed to a ceasefire which would come into force immediately.
▪ armistice a formal agreement to stop fighting a war and to discuss making peace:
The Korean armistice was signed in July 1953.
▪ calm a situation in which there is no violence, argument, or protest:
Attempts by the police to restore calm in the area failed.