Befrieden

Befrieden is a German verb meaning to pacify, calm, or placate a person or situation, often after conflict or unrest. It is used to describe actions intended to restore order, ease tensions, or bring quiet to a volatile setting. The term is typically transitive and can take a direct object: one can befrieden a region, a population, or a dispute. It can also refer to calming a group’s mood or stopping ongoing hostilities.

Etymology and nuance: Befrieden is formed with the prefix be- and the noun Frieden (peace). The expression implies an active effort to establish peace, sometimes through coercive or authoritative means as well as through diplomacy and concessions. The related noun Befriedung denotes the process or outcome of pacification.

Usage: In political and military discourse, befrieden is used to describe actions intended to restore order. Examples: Die Armee versucht, die belagerte Stadt zu befrieden. Die Regierung bemüht sich, die Bevölkerung zu befrieden. In peaceful contexts it can also refer to calming tensions in a dispute without violence.

See also: Befriedung, Frieden, Lage beruhigen, Schlichten, Peacekeeping.