Synonyms

nonbelligerent

American

[non-buh-lij-er-uhnt] / ˌnɒn bəˈlɪdʒ ər ənt /

adjective

of or relating to a country whose status or policy is one of nonbelligerency.

noun

a nation that does not engage officially in a war but openly favors or gives aid to one of the active participants.

Etymology

Origin of nonbelligerent

First recorded in 1905–10; non- + belligerent

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.

The issue is sensitive for the U.S. government, which has cast itself as a nonbelligerent friend to the government in Kyiv as it fights for its sovereignty and survival.

From Washington Post • Feb. 9, 2023

Over time, such cooperation could gradually acclimate Arab peoples to a nonbelligerent stance toward Israel.

From Washington Post • May 25, 2017

Under the plan, the U.S. would establish a sort of naval cordon sanitaire along the western channel of the gulf, through which ships from nonbelligerent nations destined for neutral ports would be escorted.

From Time Magazine Archive

By their reckoning, Clark could prove an even more formidable adversary than Watt because of his low-key, nonbelligerent style and close personal ties with President Reagan.

From Time Magazine Archive

No doubt he hoped the U.S. would remember his friendly gesture of declaring the U.S. a nonbelligerent.

From Time Magazine Archive

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