emollience

Noun

emollience (usually uncountable, plural emolliences)

1. (usually) The state or quality of being emollient; soothingness; softness.
   • The emollience of peach flesh, peach kernel oil, and creamy coconut milk, balanced with soothing chamomile and oat straw, makes this the perfect skin concoction.2010, Stephanie Rose Bird, The Big Book of Soul: The Ultimate Guide to the African American Spirit, Hampton Roads Publishing Company, Inc., →ISBN
   • TB [Tony Blair] felt we had to combine emollience of tone with the clear drive and direction of continuing reform.2011, Alistair Campbell, Power & The People 1997-1999: The Alistair Campbell Diaries Volume 2, Hutchinson, →ISBN, page 528
2. (usually) The act of soothing or appeasing; mollification.
   • When it became clear to Josh that she thought he was a 'dipstick', she tried emollience: 'No, not at all. I just thought maybe you were going on too long. They were all too drunk or stupid to keep up.'2009, Justin Cartwright, To Heaven by Water, Bloomsbury, published 2010, →ISBN, pages 127–128
   • The closing years of "Old Labour" in Britain were years laced with corruption, cynicism, emollience, and drift.2010, Christopher Hitchens, Hitch-22: A Memoir, Signal, published 2011, →ISBN, page 202