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

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