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olive branch
noun
1
: a branch of the olive tree especially when used as a symbol of peace
2
: an offer or gesture of conciliation or goodwill
Examples of olive branch in a Sentence
The winner extended an olive branch to his opponent by calling him a great player.
Recent Examples on the Web
For Linda, even an olive branch is asking too much of her.
—
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2025
Apollo 11 astronauts left a golden olive branch to symbolize peace, while a SpaceX rocket lifted a lander that carried 125 miniature sculptures by the artist Jeff Koons to the moon’s surface last year.
—
Zachary Small, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2025
The olive branch offered by the hemp industry was forcefully rejected by the MSOs.
—
Robert Hoban, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
Leaders across the globe reacted to President Donald Trump’s return to the White House on Monday, offering general good wishes and extending geopolitical olive branches.
—
Caitlin McFall, Fox News, 21 Jan. 2025
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Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of olive branch was
in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near olive branch
Cite this Entry
“Olive branch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/olive%20branch. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
Kids Definition
olive branch
noun1
: a branch of the olive tree especially when used as a symbol of peace
2
: something meant to show intentions of peace or goodwill
made a call to his former friend as an olive branch
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