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History vocabulary · Wars, Treaties and Diplomacy

Détente

Meaning in history, with examples

nounCommon term

In history, détente means: A reduction of tension and improvement in relations between rival states.

In Turkish: yumuşama, detant

How it is used

Often used for Cold War relations; détente can coexist with rivalry and disagreement.

Example sentences

  1. Trade talks continued during détente despite disputes over regional conflicts.

    Reduced tension does not require agreement on every issue.

  2. The summit was presented as a new opportunity for détente.

    The word describes a direction in relations, not a permanent alliance.

Common collocations

  • a period of détente
  • promote détente
  • Cold WarThe long rivalry between the United States and its allies and the Soviet Union and its allies, from the late 1940s until 1991, without a direct full-scale war between them.
  • allianceA formal agreement between states or groups to support each other, especially in war, or the group of states that make such an agreement.

More terms: Wars, Treaties and Diplomacy

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