Opposite of Escalation

[HappyFace]

Didn't know where to post this!!! Does anybody know what the opposite of escalation is? Thanks

[Quizmonster]

Decrease or diminishment would do. An 'escalation of hostilities' versus a 'diminishment' of hostilities, for example.

[woofgang]

from googling, it would appear that de-escalation is also a word

[jno]

ugly word, and de-escalation is even uglier, but it's probably the one. (Maybe it's what you do on the down escalator?) QM I've always preferred diminution to diminishment, but perhaps that's too latinate?

[Quizmonster]

Yes, de-escalation has been around since the 1960s. Ghastly word - probably because of the 'e-e' hiatus - and too late on the scene for it to have made much of an impact on me! Your 'diminution' is far commoner than my 'diminishment', Jno, so you're certainly welcome to that one. I still think the very first word I offered - decrease - is as accurate as any and a lot simpler.

[Johnmof]

How about "lowering", as in an escalation of tension.

[Hgrove]

I wonder about climbdown?

[Marsh]

Reduction also fits, I think

[HappyFace]

My initial post was to do with escalation procedures at work and who is informed of a problem. I just wanted a word that fitted the opposite route i.e. when the problem has been rectified and procedure for cascading it down. Thanks so far.

[jno]

hadn't heard it used in that sense before - sounds like management jargon. So that means not so much 'getting worse' as 'reporting upwards to someone'? In that case, cascading sounds like a very nice word, but I don't know if it's the official jargon, sorry. You could always say 'delegating' in some form, I suppose.

[Xollob]

Yes, it's classic management boIIockspeak. Why solve a problem when you can de-escalate it? Just google for problem escalation "de-escalation" to get an idea of how it's used.
Not the nicest written word, I have to agree, but it doesn't bother me at all when spoken. And it's certainly nicer than "phlegm", which would be my vote for Ugly Word of the Week.

[_bph_]

I'm so fricking high right now. I googled this exact same questions and this thread is the first link. I thought de-escalation was an ugly choice when typing too. You guys just blew my mind.