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nonbelligerency

American  
[non-buh-lij-er-uhn-see] / ˌnɒn bəˈlɪdʒ ər ən si /

noun

  1. the state or status of not participating in a war.

  2. the status or policy of a nation that does not participate openly in a war but supports the cause of one of the belligerents.


Etymology

Origin of nonbelligerency

First recorded in 1935–40; non- + belligerency

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:

“While hardly a pacifist country,” America has, Mr. Mandelbaum writes, tried to establish peace and nonbelligerency as “a permanent condition of international affairs.”

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 10, 2026

Kissinger is also urging the Israelis to consider new talks aimed at securing a pledge of nonbelligerency from Sadat.

From Time Magazine Archive

Kissinger was seeking to reconcile Egypt's demand for the recovery of occupied land with Israel's insistence on some form of nonbelligerency guarantee.

From Time Magazine Archive

He also backed the Israeli view that the conference should lead not just to nonbelligerency but to "real peace."

From Time Magazine Archive

In the end, Dayan proposed a "functional partition" of the West Bank in exchange for a nonbelligerency treaty.

From Time Magazine Archive

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