peacetime

noun

peace·​time ˈpēs-ˌtīm How to pronounce peacetime (audio)
: a time when a nation is not at war

Examples of peacetime in a Sentence

The size of the army was reduced during peacetime.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
But the United States would reduce its ground and air forces stationed in Europe in peacetime, perhaps transferring some of them to Asia. Jennifer Lind, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025 The first parade of its kind held in peacetime in decades. Nbc News, NBC news, 15 June 2025 Each foot soldier carried a ten-pound musket, a sixteen-inch bayonet, a tin canteen, a linen haversack, and his own blanket—a battlefield luxury, since in peacetime five men typically shared two blankets. / Cbs News, CBS News, 13 June 2025 But there is not much precedent in the United States for such a massive military parade in peacetime. Susan Page, USA Today, 11 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for peacetime

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1534, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of peacetime was circa 1534

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Cite this Entry

“Peacetime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peacetime. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

peacetime

noun
peace·​time ˈpē-ˌstīm How to pronounce peacetime (audio)
: a time when a nation is not at war

More from Merriam-Webster on peacetime

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