Dictionary

détente en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• [dɪ-] (General-American)
• /deɪˈtɑːnt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /deɪˈtɑnt/ (General-American)
• /-ˈtɒnt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (General-American) audio
• audio -

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from French détente (“loosening, relaxing”), from Latin *dētendita, a feminine singular participle of dētendō (“to relax”), from dē- (prefix meaning ‘from; of’) + tendō (“to stretch”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tend- (“to stretch”)).

Meanings

1. (uncountable) Relaxing of tension, especially between countries; (countable) an instance of this.
   • Analogous structural and political constraints stood in the way of a lasting détente between Germany and Britain. 2012, Christopher Clark, “Last Chances: Détente and Danger, 1912–1914”, in The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: HarperCollins, published 2013, →ISBN, page 318:
   • Although the Pope [Leo XIII]'s decision was in favour of Spain, it brought about quite a détente between Berlin and Rome. 1899, Julien de Narfon, “A Political Pope”, in G. A. Raper, transl., Pope Leo XIII: His Life and Work […], London: Chapman & Hall, →OCLC, page 185:
   • They had a vague feeling that after the dislocations and the violence which the Impressionists inflicted on the picturesque, the eyes of their contemporaries necessarily needed a little rest. Instinct and reflection were no less ready to warn them that the last hours were at hand of one of those reactions, or, to speak more accurately, those détentes, which are so frequent in the history of art. 1897 May 15, André Michel, “The Salons at Paris”, in The Athenæum: Journal of English and Foreign Literature, Science, the Fine Arts, Music and the Drama, number 3629, London: Printed by John Edward Francis, […]; published […], by John C. Francis, →OCLC, pages 656–657:
   • The receipt of the letter brought about a considerable détente; and the Lebanese were prevailed upon to send the President's Chef de Cabinet to meet General [Paul] Beynet on his arrival at the airport. 1944 March 15, E. Spears, “Syria and the Lebanon [Extracts from Weekly Political Summary No. 102, Secret, Syria and the Lebanon, 15th March, 1944]”, in Further Correspondence Respecting Eastern Affairs: January to March 1944, part 56, [London]: [The National Archives], page 111A:
   • No step the United States could take anywhere in the world would bring strategic benefits as great as détente with Iran. It has tantalizing potential. 2014 January 14, Stephen Kinzer, “Invading Iraq was dumb enough. Now Congress wants to derail the Iran deal”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 14 Jun 2025:
   • This intellectual and moral unrest is the inner reason for the continued talk on triple alliances, dual alliances, ententes and detentes. Monarchs and statesmen always seem engaged in maneuvers on the diplomatic chessboard, in order to isolate one Power and to combine others. 1908 July 23, Theodor Barth, “Germany’s Political Position”, in The Independent, volume LXV, number 3112, New York, N.Y.: The Independent, […], →OCLC, page 197, column 1:

Forms

Relateds

entente · detent

Translations (49)

cmn 低盪 /低荡 (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · fi liennytys (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · pt détente (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · he דֶּטַנְט \ דטאנט (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · pl détente (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · sk détente (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · uk розря́дка (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · be разра́дка (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · cs détente (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · cy datynhad (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · tr yumuşama (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · sh дѐтант (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · ro destinderea (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · af détente (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · sh dètant (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · nb avspenningspolitikk (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · mi maurutanga (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · ru разря́дка (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · hu enyhülés (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · sv avspänningspolitik (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · nl detente (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · cy détente (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · io destenso (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · es detente (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · cmn 緩和政策 /缓和政策 (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · sv détente (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · it distensione (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · fr détente (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · da afspændingspolitik (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · eu détente (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · et pingelõdvendus (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · vi détente (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · da detente (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · ja デタント (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · eo détente (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · ca distensió (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · ko 데탕트 (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · ar انفراج دولي (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · sv avspänning (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · bg разведря́ване (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · ms detente (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · de Entspannungspolitik (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · id détente (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · az detent (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · tr detant (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · th การผ่อนคลายความตึงเครียด (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · fa دتانت (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · hi तनावशैथिल्य (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this) · ga détente (relaxing of tension, especially between countries; an instance of this)