olive branch

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

an ancient symbol of peace, reconciliation, and goodwill with roots in Greek, Roman, and Hebrew traditions — the dove returning to Noah's ark with an olive leaf in Genesis is among the oldest textual references — now used idiomatically to describe any gesture of conciliation or offer to end a dispute; to extend an olive branch is to make the first move toward reconciliation, offering the other party a symbolic signal that hostilities can end and that a peaceful relationship is desired; the gesture requires some vulnerability from the extender, since the offer may be rejected, and it implicitly acknowledges that the relationship has value worth preserving; in diplomatic contexts, olive branch gestures — symbolic concessions, goodwill exchanges, prisoner releases — often precede formal negotiations and signal political readiness to negotiate