Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for nonviolent. Search instead for Non violent.
Synonyms

nonviolent

American  
[non-vahy-uh-luhnt] / nɒnˈvaɪ ə lənt /

adjective

  1. not violent; free of violence.

  2. peacefully resistant, as in response to or protest against injustice, especially on moral or philosophical grounds.


Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of nonviolent

First recorded in 1915–20; non- + violent

Vocabulary lists containing 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.

“That nonviolent escalation leaves room for more talks, but will likely push oil prices higher in the interim.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 12, 2026

Others carried signs for “Good Trouble,” a phrase calling people to nonviolent protest coined by the late Democratic Rep. John Lewis, whose district included Decatur.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

The Yellow Vests were mostly nonviolent and had little or no experience of mass mobilization.

From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026

In the following years, they built a flourishing movement fighting for farmworkers’ rights, employing marches, fasts and other nonviolent protest actions.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

It’s like trying to imagine any falsehood: that the sun revolves around the earth; that humans can fly; that the world is nonviolent.

From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti