noncombatant

[ non-kuhm-bat-nt, non-kom-buh-tnt ]
See synonyms for: noncombatantnoncombatants on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a person connected with a military force in some capacity other than that of a fighter, as a surgeon or chaplain.

  2. a person who is not directly involved in combat; a civilian in wartime.

adjective
  1. not constituting, designed for, or engaged in combat.

Origin of noncombatant

1
First recorded in 1805–15; non- + combatant

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use noncombatant in a sentence

  • It should have brought Major Burleigh too, but that appropriately named non-combatant never showed outside.

    Warrior Gap | Charles King
  • Miss MacLauren, on the neutral ground of a non-combatant, was expected by each to furnish the admiration and applause.

    Emmy Lou | George Madden Martin
  • “And by then they will have slaughtered every woman and non-combatant in the fort,” growled the Major savagely.

    Fix Bay'nets | George Manville Fenn

British Dictionary definitions for noncombatant

noncombatant

/ (ˌnɒnˈkɒmbətənt) /


noun
  1. a civilian in time of war

  2. a member of the armed forces whose duties do not include fighting, such as a chaplain or surgeon

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012