nonviolent
adjective
non·vi·o·lent
ˌnän-ˈvī-ə-lənt 
: abstaining or free from violence
nonviolently
adverb
Examples of nonviolent in a Sentence
He argued that nonviolent drug offenders should receive shorter sentences.
Recent Examples on the Web
By now, the Syrian opposition, once led by nonviolent protesters, was dominated by Islamists, who were divided and feckless and could be easily lumped together with the telegenic savageries of the Islamic State, known as ISIS.
—
Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
Activist groups such as Indivisible have trained tens of thousands of people in nonviolent tactics.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
The 90-year-old Dalai Lama occasionally teaches there; the monastery, practicing centuries-old traditions, was built after His Holiness received the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize for advocating nonviolent solutions to the Tibet-China conflict.
—Norma Meyer, Oc Register, 4 Feb. 2026
And yet, after 47 years of civil resistance and nonviolent confrontation, Iranians have converted the loss of their sons and daughters, and their private sufferings into public claims.
—Ramin Jahanbegloo, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
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Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
Activist groups such as Indivisible have trained tens of thousands of people in nonviolent tactics.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
The 90-year-old Dalai Lama occasionally teaches there; the monastery, practicing centuries-old traditions, was built after His Holiness received the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize for advocating nonviolent solutions to the Tibet-China conflict.
—Norma Meyer, Oc Register, 4 Feb. 2026
And yet, after 47 years of civil resistance and nonviolent confrontation, Iranians have converted the loss of their sons and daughters, and their private sufferings into public claims.
—Ramin Jahanbegloo, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nonviolent
Cite this Entry
“Nonviolent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonviolent. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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nonviolent
adjective
non·vi·o·lent
(ˈ)nän-ˈvī-ə-lənt
1
: not using violence : peaceful
2
: of, relating to, or marked by nonviolence
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