non·bel·lig·er·ent
ˌnän-bə-ˈlij-rənt 
-ˈli-jə-
: not belligerent: such as
a
: not waging war
nonbelligerent countries
b
: not hostile or combative
a nonbelligerent attitude
nonbelligerency
ˌnän-bə-ˈlij-rən(t)-sē
noun
-ˈli-jə-
or less commonly nonbelligerence
ˌnän-bə-ˈlij-rən(t)s
-ˈli-jə-
a nonbelligerency agreement
: a nonbelligerent country
specifically
: a country that refrains from direct participation in a war but openly favors and usually gives aid in varying degree and kind to one of the belligerents
Examples of nonbelligerent in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Solmaz Sharif, The New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2022
Over time, such cooperation could gradually acclimate Arab peoples to a nonbelligerent stance toward Israel.
—Charles Krauthammer, Twin Cities, 30 May 2017
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Adjective
For not wanting to be nonbelligerent by naming the terms for belligerence.
—Solmaz Sharif, The New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2022
Over time, such cooperation could gradually acclimate Arab peoples to a nonbelligerent stance toward Israel.
—Charles Krauthammer, Twin Cities, 30 May 2017
Cite this Entry
“Nonbelligerent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonbelligerent. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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