detente

This term describes a deliberate political strategy to reduce tensions, often characterized by a cautious thawing of relations rather than a complete resolution of conflict. It carries a formal, diplomatic tone and is typically used in the context of international relations and geopolitics to describe a strategic shift toward stability.

Because it is borrowed from French, the word is occasionally written with an accent (détente). In English usage, it functions as an uncountable noun, meaning it does not have a plural form and cannot be counted with numbers; instead, it is referred to as a period or a state of detente.