re-escalation

See also: reescalation and reëscalation

English

Alternative forms

• reescalation, reëscalation

Etymology

From re- +‎ escalation.

Noun

re-escalation (countable and uncountable, plural re-escalations)

1. (uncountable) The process of escalating again.
   • 1938, United States Department of State, Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, volume 1, United States Government Printing Office, page 909:

     In the opinion of His Majesty’s Government it is most important for political and other reasons that some limit should be fixed now, and it seems to them desirable, while avoiding any excessive increase, to fix a limit at such a level that reescalation is unlikely to be required again in the Capital Ships category during the period of the Treaty.

   • 1946, Rand Corporation, The Rand Paper Series, self-published, page 6:

     Unlike crisis escalation, crisis termination is a two-directional process in which protagonists cautiously descend the escalation ladder while simultaneously guarding against possible undetected re-escalation by one’s opponent.

2. (countable) An instance of escalating again.
   • 1946, Rand Corporation, The Rand Paper Series, self-published, page 5:

     Soviet deception may increase the likelihood of undetected non-compliance, although it also risks a re-escalation of the crisis.

   • 1963, Kwang-chih Chang, The Archaeology of Ancient China, page 170:

     After March 1968 American policy on Vietnam was all a retrograde operation, to use the military euphemism for retreat, punctuated only by Nixon’s temporary reescalations in 1970 and 1972.