peaceable

adjective

peace·​able ˈpē-sə-bəl How to pronounce peaceable (audio)
1
a
: disposed to peace : not contentious or quarrelsome
b
: quietly behaved
2
: free from strife or disorder
peaceableness noun
peaceably adverb

Examples of peaceable in a Sentence

He has a peaceable nature. The crowd dispersed in a peaceable manner.
Recent Examples on the Web In any case, some way will have to be found to deal with the gangs and to reintegrate their members back into a peaceable society that includes jobs. Amy Wilentz, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2024 The unusual controversy that has roiled a tourist hot spot just off the Southern California coast may be nearing a peaceable conclusion, The Times’ Louis Sahagún writes. Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2024 In a preface, Cavendish invokes fiction as the plainest and most peaceable genre for the expression of wit. Merve Emre, The New Yorker, 29 Jan. 2024 At first, the two keep to themselves in a largely peaceable coexistence. The New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2023 But Farra insisted that, despite the deaths caused by Israel’s air strikes, there were many other Gazans who still shared his peaceable views. Adam Rasgon, The New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2023 The Porcupine Freedom Festival — so called because the porcupine is peaceable unless attacked — is a production of the Free State Project, established more than two decades ago to get libertarians to move en masse to New Hampshire, become involved in politics, and found a libertarian state. Annalisa Quinn, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Aug. 2023 So having this sort of moment, this peaceable moment between Roman and Shiv isn’t quite right. Kate Aurthur, Variety, 2 Aug. 2023 The counter-argument, from some in both the Bush and the Clinton Administrations, was that the priority was the emergence of a peaceable and democratic Russia. Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 12 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'peaceable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of peaceable was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near peaceable

Cite this Entry

“Peaceable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peaceable. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

peaceable

adjective
peace·​able ˈpē-sə-bəl How to pronounce peaceable (audio)
peaceably adverb

Legal Definition

peaceable

adjective
peace·​able ˈpē-sə-bəl How to pronounce peaceable (audio)
: marked by freedom from dispute, strife, violence, or disorder
the right to peaceable assembly
peaceable possession
peaceably adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on peaceable

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