nonviolent
Americanadjective
-
not violent; free of violence.
-
peacefully resistant, as in response to or protest against injustice, especially on moral or philosophical grounds.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of nonviolent
Vocabulary lists containing nonviolent
We're not asking, we're demanding: Vocabulary from "Selma," the movie
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: non-
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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.
Typically, those convicted of a nonviolent felony must serve 50% of their sentence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026
Islamist organizations that adopted mostly nonviolent tactics and weren’t formally blacklisted—like the Muslim Brotherhood—fell under no agency’s remit and were largely ignored.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
George Gascón, who eliminated cash bail for misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies and championed rehabilitation over punitive sentencing.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 31, 2026
"However, this is an extremely unusual and lengthy sentence for a first time offender who committed nonviolent crimes."
From Barron's ● May 15, 2026
THE eminent MLK: nonviolent, not easily discouraged, and firm in your beliefs.
From "Dear Martin" by Nic Stone
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
