as in dove
a person who opposes war or warlike policies
a committed pacifist, Gandhi succeeded in bringing about Indian independence using only nonviolence
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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or pacifistic
as in neutral
inclined to live in peace and to avoid war
the newspaper's editorial board has clearly staked out a pacifist position on the current conflict
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pacifist
Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2025
The anti-expansionist response united pacifists, abolitionists and a variety of religious and literary figures, helping deepen the divides that would lead to the Civil War.
—G. Patrick O'Brien, The Conversation, 3 Mar. 2025
Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
Meanwhile, a visiting company of the pacifist fake Irish Travelers called the Tuatha’an have sought refuge in the village too, and Perrin’s counting on these non-fighters to run the town’s children to safety.
—Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pacifist
Noun
Shoshone chief Winter Bird (Irene Bedard) is a pacifist dealing with young braves too eager to fight.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2025
The anti-expansionist response united pacifists, abolitionists and a variety of religious and literary figures, helping deepen the divides that would lead to the Civil War.
—G. Patrick O'Brien, The Conversation, 3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
Before the Japanese government released its national security strategy policy guidelines in 2022, Japan's defense budget was limited to only 1 percent of GDP, or 5 trillion yen ($35 billion), by its constitution, which renounces war and puts the country on a pacifist course.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
Meanwhile, a visiting company of the pacifist fake Irish Travelers called the Tuatha’an have sought refuge in the village too, and Perrin’s counting on these non-fighters to run the town’s children to safety.
—Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pacifist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pacifist
Noun
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The doves eat seeds and small insects found living in the soil, the conservancy said, and relies on native grass species to provide a habitat for its prey.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2025
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Later Wednesday, Lee nominated former Unification Minister Lee Jong-seok, a dove who favors greater rapprochement with North Korea, as his spy chief.—
Kim Tong-Hyung,
Chicago Tribune,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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That's something that's a challenging question to ask because, more so than some other quantum computing technologies, neutral atom computing is dependent on something that's not made by the people who build the computers: lasers.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
20 June 2025
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While the system empowers users to suggest and execute new projects, arbiters act as neutral mediators in any disputes that arise.—
Saro McKenna,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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Iran has long maintained that its nuclear program is peaceful, and U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that Tehran is not actively pursuing a bomb.—
Jon Gambrell,
Fortune,
26 June 2025
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Iran has long maintained that its nuclear program is peaceful.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
25 June 2025
Adjective
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Trump’s narrow nationalism does not seem more peaceable than internationalism.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
16 June 2025
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If anything, the scale of the Second World War and the advent of the atom bomb made the quest for a peaceable international order more urgent than ever.—
Margaret MacMillan,
The Atlantic,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Xi must know that old societies tend to be pacific and that China is getting old fast.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
23 Dec. 2024
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Their awards show is today, Saturday, at 12 noon pacific time.—
Charlie Fink,
Forbes,
1 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pacifist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pacifist. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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