Pacify, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pacified; p. pr. & vb. n. Pacifying.]
[F. pacifier, L. pacificare; pax, pacis, peace + -ficare (in comp.) to make. See Peace, and -fy.]
To make to be at peace; to appease; to calm; to still; to quiet; to allay the agitation, excitement, or resentment of; to tranquillize; as, to pacify a man when angry; to pacify pride, appetite, or importunity. "Pray ye, pacify yourself." Shak.
To pacify and settle those countries. Bacon.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for pacify; he lists it under allay.
Where he writes about it:
Pacify, directly from the Latin, and appease, from the Latin through the French, signify to bring to peace; to mollify is to soften; to calm, quiet, or tranquilize is to make still; compose, to place together, unite, adjust to a calm and settled condition; to soothe (originally to assent to, humor) is to bring to pleased quietude. — from allay
We allay excitement, appease a tumult, calm agitation, compose our feelings or countenance, pacify the quarrelsome, quiet the boisterous or clamorous, soothe grief or distress. — from allay