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 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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 17 June 2025
Not long after, the Japanese government reinterpreted the country’s pacifist constitution, allowing its armed forces to work more closely with partner militaries.
—Ely Ratner, Foreign Affairs, 27 May 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
Anton Petrus | Moment | Getty Images Japan, renowned for its pacifist constitution, is now setting its sights on the global arms exports market.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 17 June 2025
Not long after, the Japanese government reinterpreted the country’s pacifist constitution, allowing its armed forces to work more closely with partner militaries.
—Ely Ratner, Foreign Affairs, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pacifist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pacifist
Noun
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Most of his infamous antics — the bat saga, biting the head off a dove, pissing on the Alamo, snorting lines of ants, and the rest — came in his solo years, away from the restraints of the Sabbath crew.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
27 July 2025
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During a meeting with a group of CBS record label executives in Los Angeles, Osbourne bit the head off a dove.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
23 July 2025
Adjective
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These traits are not neutral—they’re cognitive biases in disguise.—
Miriam Groom,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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Judges can order financially distressed nursing homes into receivership and appoint a neutral third party to take over management and file regular reports to the courts.—
Tamia Fowlkes,
jsonline.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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In a scene from the film, Benedict Wong's school principal character, Marcus, is shown at home with his husband, and viewers get a glimpse at their peaceful life before things take a dark turn.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
13 Aug. 2025
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Over the course of two weeks, ISIS invaded Sinjar, including my once peaceful village of Kocho, sewing fear and chaos, before killing nearly every Yazidi man in my village and taking women and children into captivity.—
Nadia Murad,
Time,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Such was the peaceable dreaming, the end-of-history thinking, in the wake of the Twelve-Day War.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
28 July 2025
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Trump’s narrow nationalism does not seem more peaceable than internationalism.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
16 June 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 21 Aug. 2025.
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