noncombatant
noun
non·com·bat·ant
ˌnän-kəm-ˈba-tᵊnt 
also
ˌnän-ˈkäm-bə-tənt
: one that does not engage in combat: such as
a
: a member (such as a chaplain) of the armed forces whose duties do not include fighting
b
: civilian
noncombatant
adjective
Examples of noncombatant in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Previously, noncombatants who wanted to participate mostly did so by raising war bonds.
—
Mick Ryan, Foreign Affairs, 21 Feb. 2025
Anti-tank land mines cannot tell the difference between an enemy tank and a civilian car that drives over them, just as smaller anti-personnel mines are unable to distinguish whether they are being triggered by an enemy soldier or a noncombatant.
—John Ismay, New York Times, 3 Dec. 2024
Yet these polls usually fail to posit the tradeoffs that a leader might face in real life, such as the choice between risking the lives of U.S. soldiers and a nuclear strike that will kill large numbers of foreign noncombatants.
—Rose McDermott, Foreign Affairs, 30 May 2023
Protecting noncombatants from intentional harm is the basis for much of international humanitarian law and nearly all traditions of just war.
—Sohail H. Hashmi, Foreign Affairs, 9 Sep. 2013
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Mick Ryan, Foreign Affairs, 21 Feb. 2025
Anti-tank land mines cannot tell the difference between an enemy tank and a civilian car that drives over them, just as smaller anti-personnel mines are unable to distinguish whether they are being triggered by an enemy soldier or a noncombatant.
—John Ismay, New York Times, 3 Dec. 2024
Yet these polls usually fail to posit the tradeoffs that a leader might face in real life, such as the choice between risking the lives of U.S. soldiers and a nuclear strike that will kill large numbers of foreign noncombatants.
—Rose McDermott, Foreign Affairs, 30 May 2023
Protecting noncombatants from intentional harm is the basis for much of international humanitarian law and nearly all traditions of just war.
—Sohail H. Hashmi, Foreign Affairs, 9 Sep. 2013
See All Example Sentences for noncombatant
Cite this Entry
“Noncombatant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/noncombatant. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.
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