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
Etymology
Origin of nonviolent
Vocabulary lists containing nonviolent
We're not asking, we're demanding: Vocabulary from "Selma," the movie
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: non-
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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.
And it’s odd to see Quaker listed so prominently as their doctrine is famously nonviolent and anti-war.
From Salon • Jun. 6, 2026
Gov. Polis reduced her sentence to 4 years and 4.5 months, citing nonviolent crimes; she will be released on parole June 1, 2026.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
"However, this is an extremely unusual and lengthy sentence for a first time offender who committed nonviolent crimes."
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
McOsker voted in February to move forward with an unarmed crisis response pilot program that sends counselors instead of police officers to nonviolent mental health emergencies.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
Paul believed that the persecution of nonviolent protesters would help the cause of suffrage.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
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.
