pacifist

1 of 2

noun

pac·​i·​fist ˈpa-sə-fist 

plural pacifists

: an adherent to pacifism : someone who opposes war or violence as a means of settling disputes

… the attack inflamed the American public and turned isolationists and pacifists into gung-ho patriots hot for revenge.

—Evan Thomas

Not every woman will or should be a pacifist; and to advance in the Senate and into the White House, women will have to convince the voters that they're prepared to go to war.

—Wendy Kaminer

pacifist

2 of 2

adjective

variants or pacifistic

ˌpa-sə-ˈfi-stik 

1

: of, relating to, or characteristic of pacifism or pacifists

distributing pacifist literature

2

: strongly and actively opposed to conflict and especially war

pacifist beliefs

pacifistically

ˌpa-sə-ˈfi-sti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Synonyms

Noun

• dove
• peacenik

Adjective

• dovish
• pacific
• peaceable
• peaceful

Examples of pacifist in a Sentence

Noun

a committed pacifist, Gandhi succeeded in bringing about Indian independence using only nonviolence

Adjective

the newspaper's editorial board has clearly staked out a pacifist position on the current conflict

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The official synopsis reads: When a pacifist is called to a political act that could change the course of history, how will a man of honor respond? —Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 20 June 2024

Rankin was a lifelong pacifist who campaigned for social and electoral reform. —Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 27 Mar. 2024

Adjective

In the mid-19th century, a group of German-speaking Mennonites moved to Russia, where the members of the pacifist sect were exempted from military service. —Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 14 June 2024

Hossain displayed his pacifist streak when a mouse got into their Queens home and his wife urged him to take it outside and kill it. —John Annese, New York Daily News, 12 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1898, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1908, in the meaning defined at sense 1