nonlethal

adjective

non·​le·​thal ˌnän-ˈlē-thəl How to pronounce nonlethal (audio)
: not lethal : not capable of causing death
a nonlethal gas
nonlethal weapons
a nonlethal dose of venom

Examples of nonlethal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Tokyo and Seoul have supplied humanitarian assistance and nonlethal military aid, such as helmets and bulletproof vests, and South Korea is emerging as a major arms supplier for European militaries. Max Bergmann, Foreign Affairs, 6 Mar. 2024 At the time, pro-China commentators were quick to emphasize that the event was nonlethal. Regine Cabato, Washington Post, 11 Dec. 2023 More than a dozen officers surrounded him with guns drawn and spent almost an hour trying to convince Kelley to drop the knife, even firing nonlethal bean bags at him, according to a report by state investigators. Umar Farooq, ProPublica, 18 Dec. 2023 However, the autopsy also found Kessler had nonlethal injuries to the left side of his face. Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2023 Within 72 hours, the flare-up in the Marina had transformed from a nonlethal assault into a news story of seemingly global import — another data point about a city in free fall. Jesse Barron, New York Times, 16 Nov. 2023 And even when the distressed person threatens them with a weapon, police don’t always shoot to kill; in the case of Faisal, an officer fired only after a nonlethal sponge round failed to slow him. Laura Crimaldi, BostonGlobe.com, 3 June 2023 Senior officials at the State Department and Pentagon are supporting the provision of nonlethal security assistance to Burkina Faso’s military, arguing that the threat posed by a spiraling Islamist insurgency requires action, especially since Russia’s Wagner Group would be eager to step in. John Hudson, Washington Post, 2 Aug. 2023 The Jewish man suffered lethal injuries to the back of his head and nonlethal injuries to left side of his face, Young said. Rachel Pannett, Washington Post, 7 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nonlethal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1625, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nonlethal was in 1625

Dictionary Entries Near nonlethal

Cite this Entry

“Nonlethal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonlethal. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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