pacifism

noun

pac·​i·​fism ˈpa-sə-ˌfi-zəm How to pronounce pacifism (audio)
1
: opposition to war or violence as a means of settling disputes
specifically : refusal to bear arms on moral or religious grounds
For Quakers pacifism is a major tenet of belief.
2
: an attitude or policy of nonresistance
efforts toward pacifism and civil rights

Examples of pacifism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Wells, a Fabian socialist like George Bernard Shaw, wrote a speculative treatise that predicted the ecology movement, the arms race, socialist pacifism, and WWII. Armond White, National Review, 9 Oct. 2024 Their founding leader, an Englishwoman named Ann Lee, preached Quaker ideals, like pacifism and gender equality, but added collective ownership, a work ethic to embarrass Balzac, and, trickiest of all for a utopia trying to grow, celibacy. Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024 China test-fires ICBM with 'dummy' warhead, after Biden touts US relationship with Japan, South Korea The decision to send the Sazanami through the strait is significant given Japan’s decades of post-war pacifism. Anthony Trotter, ABC News, 25 Sep. 2024 Gaines the younger had more than laughs and frights on his mind, however; woven into EC Comics were progressive ideals around racial equality, pacifism, environmentalism and the existential nuclear-age dread rarely spoken of in the placid, conformist 1950s. Patrick Sauer, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pacifism 

Word History

Etymology

French pacifisme, from pacifique pacific

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pacifism was in 1902

Dictionary Entries Near pacifism

Cite this Entry

“Pacifism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pacifism. Accessed 6 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

pacifism

noun
pac·​i·​fism ˈpas-ə-ˌfiz-əm How to pronounce pacifism (audio)
: opposition to war or violence as a means of settling disputes
pacifist noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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