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Synonyms

pacifist

American  
[pas-uh-fist] / ˈpæs ə fɪst /

noun

  1. a person who believes in pacifism or is opposed to war or to violence of any kind.

  2. a person whose personal belief in pacifism causes them to refuse being drafted into military service.

adjective

  1. pacifistic.

ˈpacifist British  
/ ˈpæsɪfɪst /

noun

  1. a person who supports pacifism

  2. a person who refuses military service

"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

adjective

  1. advocating, relating to, or characterized by pacifism

"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

Other Word Forms

  • antipacifist noun
  • nonpacifist noun
  • propacifist noun
  • semipacifist adjective
  • unpacifist adjective

Etymology

Origin of pacifist

From the French word pacifiste, dating back to 1905–10. See pacific, -ist

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.

“For us, being a pacifist country wasn’t just a political label. It has been our moral compass after the tragedy,” said Yagi.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Germany dropped a long-standing pacifist tradition shaped by its dark World War II past and started ramping up spending to overhaul the armed forces.

From Barron's • Dec. 17, 2025

As a lifelong pacifist, Senesh was hardly an obvious choice as a freedom fighter.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 17, 2025

Eighteen-year-old Charlotte Kreft says her own pacifist views have changed.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2025

A small country, forced to live by its wits, its foreign policy contained a strong pacifist element.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.