as in dove
a person who opposes war or warlike policies
a committed pacifist, Gandhi succeeded in bringing about Indian independence using only nonviolence
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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
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Examples of pacifist in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Mar. 2024
The ideological conflict between Xavier and Magneto has often been distilled down to one similar to that of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, with Xavier being a pacifist and Magneto being aggressive and dictatorial.
—Ken Makin, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Mar. 2024
Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2024
In the shadow of World War II, Japan adopted a pacifist constitution limiting its military to a modestly funded self-defense force.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pacifist 
Noun
As a young revolutionary during the 1896 fight against Spain and then as a soldier fighting against the Americans, Tomas had witnessed the effects of violence on people and become a pacifist.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Mar. 2024
The ideological conflict between Xavier and Magneto has often been distilled down to one similar to that of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, with Xavier being a pacifist and Magneto being aggressive and dictatorial.
—Ken Makin, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Mar. 2024
Adjective
The moment becomes a catalyst for Tell’s own radicalization, prompting him to abandon the luxury of holding pacifist beliefs and accept the idea that the truly oppressed only have one way out.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2024
In the shadow of World War II, Japan adopted a pacifist constitution limiting its military to a modestly funded self-defense force.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pacifist
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pacifist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Pacifist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pacifist. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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