pacific
adjective
tending to make or preserve peace; conciliatory.
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pacific
American
[puh-sif-ik]
/ pəˈsɪf ɪk /
adjective
-
tending to make or preserve peace; conciliatory.
pacific overtures.
- Synonyms:
- dovish
-
a pacific disposition.
- Antonyms:
- antagonistic, quarrelsome, argumentative
-
at peace; peaceful.
a pacific era in history.
- Synonyms:
- quiet
-
The Wabash is a pacific river.
-
Pacific,
-
of or relating to the Pacific Ocean.
-
of or relating to the region bordering on the Pacific Ocean.
the Pacific states.
-
noun
-
the Pacific. Pacific Ocean.
-
Pacific, a steam locomotive having a four-wheeled front truck, six driving wheels, and a two-wheeled rear truck.
pacific
1
British
/ pəˈsɪfɪk /
adjective
-
tending or conducive to peace; conciliatory
-
not aggressive; opposed to the use of force
-
free from conflict; peaceful
Pacific
2
British
/ pəˈsɪfɪk /
noun
adjective
Usage
What does pacific mean? The adjective pacific means peaceful, calm, tranquil, or nonviolent. When capitalized, Pacific is best known as the name of the Pacific Ocean, often simply called the Pacific. The adjective pacific is not used nearly as often as some of its common synonyms, such as peaceful. Example: While their neighbors were known as warriors, the tribe was pacific, specializing in trade.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of pacific
First recorded in 1540–50; from Middle French pacifique, from Latin pācificus, literally, “peacemaking,” equivalent to pāci- (combining form of pāx “peace”) + -ficus adjective suffix; see origin at peace, -fic
Explanation
The word pacific refers to people, actions, and ideas that are peaceful. Pacific actions promote and create peace. A pacifist is a person who opposes all wars, and that word can help you remember that pacific things are also peaceful. All pacific things are done in a peaceful way or help the cause of peace. Protesting a war is pacific. Signing a peace treaty is pacific. The philosophy of being pacific is called pacifism. Don't confuse pacific with a small "p" with Pacific with a big "P" — as in the Pacific Ocean.
Vocabulary lists containing pacific
Vocabulary from Woodrow Wilson's "Fourteen Points" (1918)
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American Gods
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James Monroe's First Inaugural Address (1817)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“Tragically, a southern pacific rattlesnake was hiding under the brown padded envelope and bit Addy’s left hand,” the family wrote on the fundraising page.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Transborder continued to drag from geopolitical issues, while pacific continued to see the impact of yield normalization following the prior year’s industry capacity growth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2025
Records show that medals were distributed to locals in more than 30 locations that Captain Cook and his crews visited across the pacific, including Tahiti, Easter Island and New Zealand.
From BBC ● Nov. 26, 2024
In 2019, Kennedy visited the pacific island of Samoa with CHD to campaign against a measles vaccine.
From Salon ● Nov. 6, 2024
This, from one who was ever pacific in nature.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
It was supposed to be the most-expensive new neighborhood in America, a cluster of five midcentury-inspired mansions perched on a hilltop overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Malibu, Calif.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
The world's first US-born pontiff, who holds Peruvian citizenship, will celebrate mass on a desert plain near the Pacific Ocean, before visiting Cusco, the former Inca capital, and Pucallpa, a city in the Amazon rainforest.
From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2026
Pacific Basirwe was waiting for his wife and young son to fly in from London Heathrow when he heard the news.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
The proposition would exempt Pacific Palisades homeowners from paying the tax, regardless of whether they lived at the property or not.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026
The United States had resumed nuclear testing in the Pacific.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
