What does "armistice" mean?
A (short) cessation of combat.
Armistice
/ˈɑːmɪstɪs/ name, noun
name, noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A (short) cessation of combat.
- Grammar: armistice is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: truce, breathing spell, buffer zone, cease fire.
- Useful contrasts: battle, bombardments, cannoning.
- Usage evidence: The signature of the armistice put an end to years of bloody conflicts, heavy in human and material losses.
How to use "armistice"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "armistice" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "armistice" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "armistice" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "armistice" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "armistice" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "truce" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
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When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A (short) cessation of combat. countable
"135. An armistice is the cessation of active hostilities for a period agreed upon between belligerents. It must be agreed upon in writing, and duly ratified by the highest authorities of the contending parties. 136. If an armistice be declared, without conditions, it extends no further than to require a total cessation of hostilities, along the front of both belligerents."
- 2 a state of peace agreed to between opponents so they can discuss peace terms wordnet
- 3 A formal agreement, especially between nations, to end combat. countable
"The Fifth Volume of this Collection makes its appearance at the moſt eventful period of the war—it includes, therefore, matter of the higheſt importance, and contains all the official documents reſpecting the late Negotiation—the war between this country and Spain, the progreſs of the French arms in Italy and Germany—the armiſtices and treaties concluded with the German and Italian powers— […]"
Proper Noun
- 1 Alternative letter-case form of Armistice (“the armistice agreement signed between the Allies and Germany on 11 November 1918 to end World War I; (by extension) the end of World War I”). alt-of
"The armistice of November 1918 could represent many things: the end of the war, the victory. But for the Carnard [the newspaper Le Canard enchaîné], first and foremost, it represented dissention among the French. […] After the armistice and the emergence of the first difficulties of the peace, many more both on the right and in the center argued that the armistice should have been signed in Berlin—in a word, the armistice of November 11 was premature."
- 2 The armistice agreement signed between the Allies and Germany on 11 November 1918 to end World War I; (by extension) the end of World War I.
"[W]hat was to be the future policy of the Associated Governments in regard to the renewal of the Armistice: should the Armistice constantly be renewed, with new clauses and new conditions, or were the final naval and military terms to be drawn up immediately and imposed on the enemy."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The signature of the armistice put an end to years of bloody conflicts, heavy in human and material losses."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "armistice"?
Common synonyms include: truce, breathing spell, buffer zone, cease fire, cease-fire, cease-fire.
How do you use "armistice" in a sentence?
The signature of the armistice put an end to years of bloody conflicts, heavy in human and material losses.
How do you pronounce "armistice"?
Pronounced /ˈɑːmɪstɪs/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Late Latin armistitium, from Latin arma (“arms, weapons”) + sistēre (from sistō (“to halt, stand still”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“to stand up”)) + -ium (suffix forming abstract nouns). The word is cognate with French armistice, Italian armistizio, Portuguese armistício, Spanish armisticio.
Etymology 2
See armistice.