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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pacifist
Foreign Affairs, 22 May 2015
The grieving mother began using her platform as one of Germany’s most celebrated artists, noted for her masterful drawing and printmaking, to become one of its most outspoken pacifists.
—airmail.news, 30 Mar. 2024
Donald Liebenson, Vulture, 14 June 2024
Such worms took on the characterization of a prankster, like the WANK (Worms Against Nuclear Killers), which plagued NASA computers with pacifist messages in 1989 and deceived users into believing their files were being deleted.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 23 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for pacifist
Noun
Gideon Rose: How does a female civilian British pacifist end up becoming the chief adviser to the US military in Iraq?
—Foreign Affairs, 22 May 2015
The grieving mother began using her platform as one of Germany’s most celebrated artists, noted for her masterful drawing and printmaking, to become one of its most outspoken pacifists.
—airmail.news, 30 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Munitions manufacturers plot to oust the pacifist king of Moronika and install a dictator.
—Donald Liebenson, Vulture, 14 June 2024
Such worms took on the characterization of a prankster, like the WANK (Worms Against Nuclear Killers), which plagued NASA computers with pacifist messages in 1989 and deceived users into believing their files were being deleted.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 23 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for pacifist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pacifist
Noun
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Treks to Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, which spans 2,088 acres near the border with Mexico, revealed an understory alive with even more birdsong, from the wo-woo-ooo of white-tipped doves to the CHA-CHA-LAC-A that gives that tropical chicken its common name.—
Laura Mallonee,
Wired News,
12 Apr. 2025
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In a symbolic tribute to peace, hope, and freedom, white doves were also released into the sky following the service.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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For one, the upstart Wings and dynastic Las Vegas Aces go to work at a particularly cool neutral site — Purcell Pavilion, home of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, cathedral to Muffet McGraw’s national championship program.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
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There were about 140,000 Jews in the Netherlands, a neutral country, when the Germans arrived in 1940.—
Brian T. Allen,
National Review,
3 May 2025
Adjective
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Together, these two pros deliver a Sunday to-do list that will hopefully create a more peaceful and efficient week ahead.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
27 Apr. 2025
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The meeting lasted about 15 minutes inside St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, where Francis often preached the need for a peaceful end to the war, just before Trump and Zelenskyy took their seats at the outdoor funeral service.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Protesters were given cards with QR codes that linked to Yale University’s policies for peaceable assembly, such as keeping everyone physically safe, not blocking entrances and exits and no disruptions to the university’s operations.—
Brynn Gingras,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2025
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The founders plainly understood that the nation could not flourish, or even survive, without giving due respect to the laws that governed peaceable relations among sovereign states.—
Harold Hongju Koh,
Foreign Affairs,
15 Oct. 2013
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 6 May. 2025.
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