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
Their crimes ranged from nonviolent drug offenses to bribery and fraud.
—
Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
Organizers emphasized that they are trained in deescalation and the event is meant to be a nonviolent protest.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 10 Mar. 2026
However, the city of Chicago and the Illinois attorney general are suing to limit immigration agents’ use of force against nonviolent protesters.
—Bob Ortega, CNN Money, 10 Mar. 2026
Dozens of petitions have been filed with the court asking it to decide whether the law violates the Second Amendment as applied to people convicted of nonviolent felonies.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nonviolent
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
Organizers emphasized that they are trained in deescalation and the event is meant to be a nonviolent protest.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 10 Mar. 2026
However, the city of Chicago and the Illinois attorney general are suing to limit immigration agents’ use of force against nonviolent protesters.
—Bob Ortega, CNN Money, 10 Mar. 2026
Dozens of petitions have been filed with the court asking it to decide whether the law violates the Second Amendment as applied to people convicted of nonviolent felonies.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 1 Mar. 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 24 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nonviolent
adjective
non·vi·o·lent
(ˈ)nän-ˈvī-ə-lənt
1
: not using violence : peaceful
2
: of, relating to, or marked by nonviolence
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
