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
variants
or pacifistic
as in pacific
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pacifist
Guy Lodge, Variety, 21 Nov. 2025
Also in 1968, Blais worked as an assistant director on Straight to the Heart, a dramedy by Jean-Pierre Lefebvre that starred musician-actor Robert Charlebois as a pacifist brainwashed by mysterious authorities to embrace war.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 4 Nov. 2025
Alastair Gale, Bloomberg, 12 Mar. 2026
Takaichi has pledged to revise security and defense policies by December to bolster Japan’s military capabilities, lifting a ban on lethal weapons exports and moving further away from postwar pacifist principles.
—Mari Yamaguchi, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pacifist
Noun
All voiceover in the film is detached from the images, from a mixture of unidentified community folk who are content to speak anonymously, and neighboring outsiders perplexed by these out-of-time pacifists.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 21 Nov. 2025
Also in 1968, Blais worked as an assistant director on Straight to the Heart, a dramedy by Jean-Pierre Lefebvre that starred musician-actor Robert Charlebois as a pacifist brainwashed by mysterious authorities to embrace war.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
Japan’s pacifist constitution wouldn’t bar the country from helping with mine clearance around the Strait of Hormuz at the conclusion of the war between the US, Israel and Iran, but Tokyo has no plans to deploy minesweepers to the region, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said.
—Alastair Gale, Bloomberg, 12 Mar. 2026
Takaichi has pledged to revise security and defense policies by December to bolster Japan’s military capabilities, lifting a ban on lethal weapons exports and moving further away from postwar pacifist principles.
—Mari Yamaguchi, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pacifist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pacifist
Noun
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The powder blue car was shaped like a torpedo, with Rolls-Royce’s unmistakable vertical grille, an open cockpit and a rear that tapered like a dove.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
14 Apr. 2026
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Just months after its dedication, a 13-year-old was arrested and cited on suspicion of taking the bronze dove and posting it on his Instagram page.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Olivier tried successfully to get the reader to understand how a gentle, pacific young man could come to kill more than a thousand people, and so capturing the tone and empathetic portrayal not only of Simo Häyhä and his colleagues but also of the often-bewildered Russian soldiers was essential.—
Erik Pedersen,
Oc Register,
30 Jan. 2026
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Courtesy: Apple Apple on Tuesday sent invites to the media and analysts for a launch event at its campus on September 9 at 10 A.M pacific time.—
Kif Leswing,
CNBC,
26 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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In the decades after the war, Japanese Americans would be hailed as a model minority for their resilience and peaceful reintegration into American life.—
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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Numerous friends and family members, in interviews with the News, described Griffin as a peaceful man, known for his devotion to God as much as his spitfire lyrics.—
Roni Jacobson,
New York Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The overall aesthetic was slightly ascetic without being spartan—a pale, neutral color palette; simple, modern furniture; a few pieces of abstract art.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Apr. 2026
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But neutral, white-box viewing spaces (with even, predictable lighting) can be found elsewhere on LACMA’s campus and pretty much anywhere art is shown.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pacifist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pacifist. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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