noncombatant

[ non-kuh m-bat-nt, non-kom-buh-tnt ]

/ ˌnɒn kəmˈbæt nt, nɒnˈkɒm bə tnt /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR noncombatant ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person connected with a military force in some capacity other than that of a fighter, as a surgeon or chaplain.

a person who is not directly involved in combat; a civilian in wartime.

adjective

not constituting, designed for, or engaged in combat.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

noncognitivism, noncollegiate, noncom, noncom., noncombat, noncombatant, noncombustible, noncomedogenic, noncommercial, noncommissioned, noncommissioned officer

Origin of noncombatant

First recorded in 1805–15; non- + combatant

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for noncombatant

Though limited to a noncombatant role, the Marines arrived in Guatemala fully armed.
Guatemala: A Losing Battle in the War on Drugs?|Mac Margolis|September 16, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The Royal Engineers are the men who are looked on in training as a noncombatant force, with safe jobs.
Trenching at Gallipoli|John Gallishaw
Jason Russell, an invalid and a noncombatant, was barbarously butchered in his own house.
The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 14|Various
Hence Germany could apparently sink vessels with impunity so long as the noncombatant victims belonged to other nationalities.
The Story of the Great War, Volume VI (of VIII)|Various

He issued a series of silly general orders making war on the noncombatant population of Virginia within his line.
The Victim|Thomas Dixon
Naturally he would have been denied permission to go forward during an engagement—that was no time nor place for a noncombatant.
Ned, Bob and Jerry on the Firing Line|Clarence Young

British Dictionary definitions for noncombatant

noncombatant

/ (ˌnɒnˈkɒmbətənt) /

noun

a civilian in time of war

a member of the armed forces whose duties do not include fighting, such as a chaplain or surgeon

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