"Rapprochement" is a formal, semi-common word. Plenty of people will be put off by it: it's fancy, and French. Most of the time, you don't need it; the word "reconciliation" will do just fine instead.

But on the rare occasion that you do want to sound very formal and serious, then you might talk about nations (or smaller groups, or individual people) hoping for a rapprochement, or fostering a rapprochement, or reaching a rapprochement.

You might also talk about a rapprochement between two groups, or about someone's rapprochement with someone else.

And you might qualify that a rapprochement is partial or total, or tepid or warm, or narrow or broad. For example, this headline anticipates a "wider rapprochement" than before between the U.S. and Cuba.

"The full cultural effects of Cuba's current rapprochement with the United States remain to be seen." 
— Holland Cotter, New York Times, 30 March 2017

"Richard and Sarah find themselves living next door to Catherine and a friendship develops, characterised by a series of delicate rebuffs and rapprochements."
— Jane Housham, The Guardian, 7 August 2012

has this page helped you understand "rapprochement"?

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If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "rapprochement" without saying "reunion" or "reconciliation."

try it out:

Think of two groups of people who have trouble seeing eye to eye. Fill in the blanks: "There's not much of a rapprochement between (one group) and (another)."

Silly example: "There's not much of a rapprochement between Swifties and BeyHivers."

Serious example: "In general there is not a very cordial rapprochement between the English Catholic peers and the Irish Catholic members... Only the common bond of religion brings these two sets of men together now and then. They meet, but do not blend."
— Justin McCarthy, Modern Leaders, 1872

If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.)

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game this month is "Eddie Izzardisms!"

Consider a quote from Eddie Izzard's delightful stand-up comedy, and decide which of three given terms you can most easily connect it to. You can see my suggested answer by scrolling to the bottom of the issue. But yours doesn't need to match mine. 

Try this one today:

"They went to the moon and they brought back rock. Trouble is, we've got rock. That was the one thing we didn't need, wasn't it?"

Gratuitous, sagacious, or tenacious?

review this word:

1. The opposite of a RAPPROCHEMENT could be

A. a FORAY: an attempt to do something completely new.
B. a FISSURE: a split or division between people or ideas.
C. a FULCRUM: an important person, thing, or idea that supports and/or affects everything else or everybody else.

2. It's a popular trope for sequels: _____.

A. the villain goes into rapprochement, then emerges even more powerful
B. the hero commits a rapprochement, then must make restitution for it
C. two foes reach a rapprochement, then as a team, fend off a bigger, badder foe

Answers to the review questions: 1. B 2. C From the game, here's a suggested answer: I'd go with gratuitous, because we didn't need rocks!

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my blog: On vocabulary...       36 ways to study words.       Why we forget words, & how to remember them.       How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. On writing...       How to improve any sentence.       How to motivate our kids to write.       How to stop procrastinating and start writing.       How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count. From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.