démarche

Definition

A diplomatic maneuver; one handled with finesse.

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from French démarche, from Middle French, from 12th century demarcher (“to march”), from Old French demarchier, from de- + marchier. Attested 1658, in sense “walk, step”; meaning “a diplomatic move” attested from 1670s.

Example Sentences

• "A less formal way of making diplomatic representations or protests is called a démarche. The following from the US Department of State handbook sets out the typical procedures and purposes of a démarche."
• "He did not question the Communist Party's conformity to Moscow, but he thought that the impact of a démarche would be limited since the Portuguese Communists could not afford to tone down their policies lest they be outflanked from the left."
• "The EU made a démarche on 16 April 2003 calling for the continuation of discussions regarding this so-called “follow-up mechanism”, but beyond the one-off meeting, the mechanism never took off and was soon forgotten due to staff changes within the EU bureaucracy."