pacifist

1 of 2

noun

pac·​i·​fist ˈpa-sə-fist 

plural pacifists

: an adherent to pacifism : someone who opposes war or violence as a means of settling disputes

… the attack inflamed the American public and turned isolationists and pacifists into gung-ho patriots hot for revenge.

—Evan Thomas

Not every woman will or should be a pacifist; and to advance in the Senate and into the White House, women will have to convince the voters that they're prepared to go to war.

—Wendy Kaminer

pacifist

2 of 2

adjective

variants or pacifistic

ˌpa-sə-ˈfi-stik 

1

: of, relating to, or characteristic of pacifism or pacifists

distributing pacifist literature

2

: strongly and actively opposed to conflict and especially war

pacifist beliefs

pacifistically

ˌpa-sə-ˈfi-sti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Synonyms

Noun

• dove
• peacenik

Adjective

• dovish
• pacific
• peaceable
• peaceful

Examples of pacifist in a Sentence

Noun

a committed pacifist, Gandhi succeeded in bringing about Indian independence using only nonviolence

Adjective

the newspaper's editorial board has clearly staked out a pacifist position on the current conflict

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Both parents were ardent foes of racial inequality, his mother as a pacifist, his father carrying a gun. —Robert D. McFadden, New York Times, 10 June 2024

Robertson, a Milwaukee philanthropist who is 108 years old, started the program in 2016 in memory of her late mother, Roberts, a pacifist and suffragette. —Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 12 Apr. 2024

Adjective

Rereleased in France in 1946, the film didn’t sit as well with many French critics, who found its depiction of connections between French and German officers and its pacifist attitude out of step with the times. —Keith Phipps, Vulture, 26 May 2024

Local pacifist groups have called on Connecticut to divest public employee pension funds from companies supporting Israel’s war effort. —Erica E. Phillips, Hartford Courant, 23 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1898, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1908, in the meaning defined at sense 1