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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
At the end of season 2, Alicent offered her former best friend a major olive branch. Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026 Each object features decoration – in bread of course – depicting wheat ears and sheafs, as well as hearts and olive branches. Francesca Perry, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026 As the city determines how to balance its budget, the two have traded jabs at each other — although the speaker extended an olive branch of sorts earlier this week with the Council approval of Mamdani’s pick for the city’s top investigative watchdog. Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 17 Apr. 2026 Cuban authorities began releasing more than 2,000 political prisoners, a possible olive branch for Washington as the nation grapples with a crippling economic blockade. Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 6 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for olive branch

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Olive branch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/olive%20branch. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

olive branch

noun
1
: 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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