armistice

noun

ar·mi·stice ˈär-mə-stəs

Synonyms of armistice next

: temporary stopping of open acts of warfare by agreement between the opponents : truce

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Armistice comes from the New Latin word armistitium, which in turn combines a stem of the Latin verb sistere, meaning "to make stand, halt, bring to a standstill," with arma, meaning "implements of war, weapons." An armistice, therefore, is literally a cessation of arms. Armistice Day is the name that was given to the holiday celebrated in the United States on November 11 before it was renamed Veterans Day by Congress in 1954. The original name refers to the agreement between the Allied Powers and Germany to end the hostilities that constituted the First World War—an agreement designated to take effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

Examples of armistice in a Sentence

both sides in the conflict agreed to an armistice during the solemn holy days

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

In the Middle East, the White House and France brokered a ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, but the temporary armistice is off to a rocky start as each side has accused the other of violating the terms. —

Filip Timotija, The Hill, 30 Nov. 2024 No peace treaty or armistice has ever been signed between Taiwan and China, and neither government officially recognizes the other. —

Reuters, NBC News, 25 Oct. 2024 Even if the current war in Ukraine is settled via an armistice, without some kind of security guarantee for Ukraine, another war is likely. —

Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 18 Dec. 2024 The two Koreas technically remain at war after the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, rather than a peace treaty. —

Stella Kim, NBC News, 14 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for armistice

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin armistitium, from Latin arma "implements of war, weapons" + -stit-, -stes (going back to *-sta-t-s, root noun derivative from Indo-European *steh₂- the base of Latin sistere "to make stand, halt, bring to a standstill," stāre "to stand") + -ium, suffix of compounded nouns — more at arm entry 3, stand entry 1

Note: The Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources records armistitium from medieval Scottish documents preserved in England (Rotuli Scotiae in Turri Londensi et in Domo Capitulari Westmonasteriensi asservati, vol. 1, London, 1814, p. 335). However, the word occurs only in the text of a heading summarizing the contents of a letter written in April, 1335. These headings were presumably composed when the documents were collected for publication and do not reflect medieval usage of armistitium. Printed records of the word are in abundance only after 1610, when it appears in the dedicatory preface to Biblical commentaries by the French Jesuit Nicolaus Serarius (In sacros divinorum bibliorum libros, Tobiam, Iudith, Esther et Machabaeos commentarius, Mainz, 1610), though there is no reason to believe Serarius coined it. The model for the coinage may have been Latin solstitium solstice.

First Known Use

1677, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of armistice was in 1677

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Style

“Armistice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/armistice. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

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Kids Definition

armistice

noun

ar·mi·stice ˈär-mə-stəs

: a pause in fighting brought about by agreement between the two sides

Last Updated: 22 Jan 2025 - Updated example sentences

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armistice

noun

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