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.
There is no longer any public trace of Helton’s criminal case in the Ohio county court system; certain nonviolent cases are allowed to be sealed or expunged after a set amount of time has passed.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026
Gov. Polis reduced her sentence to 4 years and 4.5 months, citing nonviolent crimes; she will be released on parole June 1, 2026.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 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
In cases involving nonviolent crimes, diversion is more likely than jail to keep people from becoming repeat offenders, she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action.
From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry
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.
