Standard Lemma guide

de-escalation

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • UK: /diːˌɛskəˈleɪʃən/

1

noun

Meaning 1

A decrease in scope, extension or severity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: escalation

2

noun

Meaning 2

(war) a reduction in intensity (of a crisis or a war)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: decrease, diminution, reduction, step-down

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *de Proto-Indo-European *-h1 Proto-Indo-European *déh1 Proto-Italic *dē Latin dē Latin dē-der. English de- English escalate Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin -ātiōlbor. Old French -ationbor. Middle English -acioun English -ation English -ion English escalation English de-escalation From de- + escalation.

Across languages

Translations

14 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: дээскалацыя (deeskalacyja) — a decrease in scope, extension or severity
  • Catalan: desescalada — a decrease in scope, extension or severity
  • Finnish: lievittäminen — a decrease in scope, extension or severity
  • Finnish: liennyttäminen — a decrease in scope, extension or severity
  • French: désescalade — a decrease in scope, extension or severity
  • Georgian: დეესკალაცია (deesḳalacia) — a decrease in scope, extension or severity
  • German: Deeskalation — a decrease in scope, extension or severity
  • Greek: αποκλιμάκωση (apoklimákosi) — a decrease in scope, extension or severity
  • Indonesian: deeskalasi — a decrease in scope, extension or severity
  • Polish: deeskalacja — a decrease in scope, extension or severity
  • Portuguese: desescalada — a decrease in scope, extension or severity
  • Russian: деэскала́ция (deeskalácija) — a decrease in scope, extension or severity
  • Spanish: desescalada — a decrease in scope, extension or severity
  • Ukrainian: деескала́ція (deeskalácija) — a decrease in scope, extension or severity