noun / adjective
pacifist
PAS-ih-fist/pˈæsɪfɪst/
Opposed to war or violence as a principle, or a person who holds this view.
As a pacifist, she opposes war even when others support it.
Etymology
The suffix identifies an advocate of the peaceful principle embodied in pacifism. A pacifist is therefore someone committed to opposing war and violence, not merely someone who is personally quiet or gentle.
In context
a requim not for the soldiers but perhaps for war itself for Britain was a conscientious objector he was a lifelong pacifist
More examples
- His pacifist beliefs lead him to refuse military service.
- The pacifists call for negotiations instead of armed conflict.
- She takes a pacifist approach to disputes, rejecting violence.
Forms
pacifist · pacifists
pacifism noun — Principled opposition to war or violence.
Similar words
- nonviolent
- Describes avoiding violence, without necessarily holding a principle against war.
- antiwar
- May oppose a particular war rather than all war.