peacetime

noun

peace·​time ˈpēs-ˌtīm How to pronounce peacetime (audio)
: a time when a nation is not at war

Examples of peacetime in a Sentence

The size of the army was reduced during peacetime.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The penalties failed to oust Maduro — and are now often blamed for exacerbating one of the worst peacetime economic collapses in modern history. Federica Cocco, Washington Post, 25 July 2024 Ferrara bought a metric ton of tapeworm props, hired a scene-stealing Meg Tilly and showed us that, even in docile peacetime, demands of obedience and conformity can be seamlessly co-opted by evil forces, leaving us with zero options of how to live outside their control. Rory Doherty, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2024 The Lebanese government, which even in peacetime can’t be relied on to provide basics, such as electricity and water, has been overwhelmed. Rania Abouzeid, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2024 The United States has an anachronistic contracting and acquisitions system that is much better suited for the leisurely pace of peacetime than for the urgency of wartime. Seth G. Jones, Foreign Affairs, 2 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for peacetime 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1534, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of peacetime was circa 1534

Dictionary Entries Near peacetime

Cite this Entry

“Peacetime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peacetime. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

peacetime

noun
peace·​time ˈpē-ˌstīm How to pronounce peacetime (audio)
: a time when a nation is not at war

More from Merriam-Webster on peacetime

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!