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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pacifist
Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 4 Nov. 2025
Every version of me is a pacifist.
—Zadie Smith, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2025
The series stars Nakadai as a pacifist soldier in World War II-era Japan.
—NPR, 12 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pacifist
Noun
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
Every version of me is a pacifist.
—Zadie Smith, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
All conflict is gone; the hive mind is united in a collective purpose of pacifist overlords.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2025
The series stars Nakadai as a pacifist soldier in World War II-era Japan.
—NPR, 12 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pacifist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pacifist
Noun
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Canada geese are protected, as well as most other geese, swans, ducks, cranes, cuckoos, hummingbirds, doves and flamingos.—
Kyle Werner,
Des Moines Register,
27 Jan. 2026
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That makes hawks less likely to support rate cuts, unlike the doves on the committee.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 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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Amid persisting violence from criminal groups in a country long considered a peaceful tourist hub, polling reveals that Costa Ricans are most concerned about security this year.—
Djenane Villanueva,
CNN Money,
1 Feb. 2026
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After a peaceful march to the Georgia State Capitol that swelled into the hundreds, protestors returned to the area around the Centennial Olympic Park and CNN Center, where some confronted police, who sprayed some demonstrators with pepper spray.—
Ernie Suggs,
AJC.com,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The galaxy also appears to have cleared its surrounding region of primordial hydrogen gas — an unexpected finding, the researchers say, given that the early universe was filled with neutral hydrogen.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
4 Feb. 2026
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And this memo does not read like neutral legal guidance grounded in constitutional clarity.—
Rosalind Osgood,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pacifist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pacifist. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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