“Entente” sounds similar to another word associated with 20th-century diplomatic relations — “détente” — and they can easily be confused with one another. Détente, the relaxation of strained political relations, is often a precursor to entente (an informal alliance), but not always. For instance, even though Richard Nixon was able to achieve a level of détente between the Soviet Union and the United States during his presidency, the two superpowers didn’t reach the kind of friendly alliance that “entente” suggests.