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
- nonviolently adverb
Etymology
Origin of nonviolent
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 Yellow Vests were mostly nonviolent and had little or no experience of mass mobilization.
From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026
The group had gathered at the Quaker Meeting House in Westminster for what was billed as "nonviolent direct action training".
From BBC • Mar. 5, 2026
Most of those who attended these protests were peaceful—Operation Rescue instructed recruits on what it called nonviolent civil disobedience.
From Slate • Feb. 4, 2026
The goal is to have a nonviolent action in response to the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2026
“The petition is to change the Granger School’s mascot from the Gunners to something nonviolent but still in line with the school’s history,” Stephanie said.
From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan
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.
