rapprochement

/ɹəˈpɹɒʃmɒ̃/

rapprochement means the reestablishment of cordial relations, particularly between two countries; a reconciliation. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 77 out of 100.

rapprochement is pronounced /ɹəˈpɹɒʃmɒ̃/.

Why “rapprochement” is a great word

RAPPROCHEMENT — [Noun] The reestablishment of cordial or harmonious relations, especially between nations or groups. Unadapted borrowing from French rapprochement, from rapprocher ("to bring near"), from re- (expressing intensive force) + approcher ("to approach"). First attested in English in 1809. Unlike "reconciliation," which often implies a deeper, more personal resolution of fundamental wrongs, or "détente," which denotes a temporary easing of tension without full harmony, rapprochement is the deliberate, diplomatic act of closing a distance. It is the scent of polished wood in a long-unused conference hall, the careful shifting of chairs to the corners of a table, and the faint, distinct sound of a border gate being unlocked—a fragile architecture built not on forgetting, but on the mutual exhaustion of strife.

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from French rapprochement (“act or process of getting closer together; link (between two things)”).

noun

The reestablishment of cordial relations, particularly between two countries; a reconciliation.“It was the Nixon administration that saw the rapprochement between the United States and China.”