Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The absence of war or other hostilities.
  • noun An agreement or a treaty to end hostilities.
  • noun Freedom from quarrels and disagreement; harmonious relations.
  • noun Public security and order.
  • noun Inner contentment; serenity.
  • interjection Used as a greeting, a farewell, or a request for silence.
  • idiom (at peace) In a state of tranquility; serene.
  • idiom (at peace) Free from strife.
  • idiom (keep/hold) To be silent.
  • idiom (keep the peace) To maintain or observe law and order.
  • idiom (peace out) Used to express “goodbye.”

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A state of quiet or tranquillity; freedom from disturbance or agitation; calm; quietness; repose.
  • noun Freedom from agitation or disturbance by the passions, as from fear, terror, anger, or anxiety; quietness of mind; tranquillity; calmness; quiet of conscience.
  • noun A state of reconciliation between parties at variance; harmony; concord.
  • noun Public tranquillity; that quiet order and security which are guaranteed by the laws: as, to keep the peace; to break the peace; a justice of the peace.
  • noun A compact or agreement made by contending parties to abstain from further hostilities; a treaty of peace: as, the peace of Ryswick.
  • noun Amity
  • noun Quiet, Tranquillity, etc. See rest.
  • To hold one's peace; be or become silent; hold one's tongue.
  • To appease; quiet; allay.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Exemption from, or cessation of, war with public enemies.
  • noun Public quiet, order, and contentment in obedience to law.
  • noun Exemption from, or subjection of, agitating passions; tranquillity of mind or conscience.
  • noun Reconciliation; agreement after variance; harmony; concord.
  • noun in a state of peace.
  • noun See under Breach.
  • noun See under Justice.
  • noun (Law), (Theol.) The peace of heart which is the gift of God.
  • noun (Jewish Antiq.) A gift or service offered as satisfaction to an offended person.
  • noun a civil officer whose duty it is to preserve the public peace, to prevent riots, etc., as a polliceman, sheriff or constable.
  • noun to be silent; to refrain from speaking.
  • noun to reconcile one with, to plead one's cause with, or to become reconciled with, another.
  • verb rare To make or become quiet; to be silent; to stop.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A state of tranquility, quiet, and harmony. For instance, a state free from civil disturbance.
  • noun A state free of oppressive and unpleasant thoughts and emotions.
  • noun Harmony in personal relations.
  • noun A state free of war, in particular war between different countries.
  • interjection slang Shortened form of peace out; goodbye.
  • interjection archaic Shut up!, silence!; be quiet, be silent.
  • verb neologism To make peace; to put at peace; to be at peace.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the state prevailing during the absence of war
  • noun a treaty to cease hostilities
  • noun the absence of mental stress or anxiety
  • noun harmonious relations; freedom from disputes
  • noun the general security of public places

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English pes, from Old French pais, pes, from Latin pāx, pāc-; see pax.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English pece, peas, pees, from Old French pais ("peace"), from Latin pāx ("peace"), from Proto-Indo-European *paḱ- (“to fasten, stick, place”), related to Latin pacīscor ("agree, stipulate"), Latin pangō ("fasten, fix"); see pact. Displaced native Middle English frith, frede ("peace") (from Old English friþ, frēod ("peace")), Middle English sib, sibbe ("peace") (from Old English sibb ("peace, kinship")), Middle English grith ("peace, security") (from Old English griþ and Old Norse grið), Middle English saht, saught ("peace, reconciliation") (from Old English seht, sæht ("peace, pact, agreement")).

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Examples

Comments

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  • Silas: Peace.

    Bart: Peace is meant to explain a state of tranquility. Ok? So why don't you try finding a way to say goodbye, now that you're among civilized people.

    Silas: Well, Mr. Civilized, peace can also be used interjectionally, as a request, greeting or farewell. So, try to find another way to be an asshole, if you don't know your, grammar, that is. Peace.

    December 4, 2006

  • PeAcE

    February 25, 2009

  • PeAcE

    February 25, 2009

  • The word peace I find is used as an excuse to do nothing. Keep slavery as long as we have peace, Jews in Nazi Germany

    are a European problem as long as the US is at peace with the Nazis. I won't turn in the gang members they leave me in peace

    January 28, 2010

  • Sky and water shifted or swivelled their occult constituent parts and like the solution to a visual riddle the stars yielded a new constellation describing the figure of a wolf, a diagram showing that there was no reason for us, only the certainty of us, and understanding this was like taking the hand that would lead us to peace. From "The Last Werewolf" by Glen Duncan.

    March 18, 2012