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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of pacifist
Iveta Silova, The Conversation, 9 Apr. 2025
Marchand has crossed lines by licking players, or repeatedly punching a hockey pacifist like Vancouver’s Daniel Sedin in a final series.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 29 Mar. 2025
Hannah Gold, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2025
Not long ago such an utterance would have been political suicide in a country with a pacifist identity, but her rallies were packed, and party volunteers were out en masse, distributing flyers and buttonholing passersby.
—Jeff Kingston, Time, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pacifist
Noun
Even before seizing national power in 1933, the Nazi Party was closely monitoring German universities through nationalist student groups and sympathetic faculty, flagging professors deemed politically unreliable – particularly Jews, Marxists, liberals and pacifists.
—Iveta Silova, The Conversation, 9 Apr. 2025
Marchand has crossed lines by licking players, or repeatedly punching a hockey pacifist like Vancouver’s Daniel Sedin in a final series.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 29 Mar. 2025
Adjective
The Brotherhood bears some resemblance to the Bruderhof, a tiny Christian pacifist sect founded in Germany in the nineteen-twenties that left its country of origin and spread around the globe in response to Nazi Fascism.
—Hannah Gold, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2025
Not long ago such an utterance would have been political suicide in a country with a pacifist identity, but her rallies were packed, and party volunteers were out en masse, distributing flyers and buttonholing passersby.
—Jeff Kingston, Time, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pacifist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pacifist
Noun
-
This changeup dove below the zone, coming off the same plane as Sánchez’s sinker on the inner half of the plate.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
-
This siren’s song arises from the murmur of doves on an Arizona stock tank and the rattle of Indiana cornstalks.—
Jim Moore,
Outdoor Life,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Maria Rovito, Instructor of Medical Humanities at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences reminds her students that language is never neutral.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
11 Oct. 2025
-
The bedding’s calming, neutral gray tone is a great fit for a range of decor styles, from minimalistic to modern.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Udine, Italy Reuters — Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched Tuesday in the northern Italian city of Udine before Italy’s World Cup soccer qualifier against Israel, concluding their mostly peaceful protest with clashes involving police.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Both animals were pictured with their eyes closed, in a deep, peaceful snooze together.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
If peaceable trading isn't your dream, consider the corsair life, pillaging other ships for their precious cargo.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
7 Oct. 2025
-
In fact, as believing Christians, Jews, or Muslims know, the founders and leaders of these major world religions advocate understanding of others, empathy for their suffering, and the pursuit of peaceable relations with all.—
Howard Steele,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
My late grandfather, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, served in the pacific campaign.—
Simon Perry,
People.com,
19 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pacifist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pacifist. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share