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
Evan ThomasNot 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
Wendy Kaminer
variants
or pacifistic
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
Synonyms
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
Alia Malek, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2025
Although tensions on the Middle East have ebbed and flowed, the successful Camp David negotiation won acclaim among Israelis and Arabs alike, who praised it as an evenhanded approach from the U.S.
Carter was a peacemaker but not a pacifist, and saw the need for military strength.
—Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2025
Mio Yamada, Foreign Affairs, 20 Jan. 2016
Japan has a pacifist post-war constitution, which limits its military capacity to ostensibly defensive measures.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune Asia, 27 Dec. 2024
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Noun
When Syrians took to the streets in the peaceful protests of the Arab Spring, one of them was Ahmad al-Khaldi, a secular pacifist who lived in Deir al-Zour, in the eastern part of the country.
—Alia Malek, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2025
Although tensions on the Middle East have ebbed and flowed, the successful Camp David negotiation won acclaim among Israelis and Arabs alike, who praised it as an evenhanded approach from the U.S.
Carter was a peacemaker but not a pacifist, and saw the need for military strength.
—Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2025
Adjective
Ostensibly, the new laws seek to amend Japan’s pacifist constitution (imposed by American victors 70 years ago) so that Japan’s defense and security policy can meet the challenges of this century.
—Mio Yamada, Foreign Affairs, 20 Jan. 2016
Japan has a pacifist post-war constitution, which limits its military capacity to ostensibly defensive measures.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune Asia, 27 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pacifist
Dictionary Entries Near pacifist
Cite this Entry
“Pacifist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pacifist. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025.
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