nonviolent
Americanadjective
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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.
Orange and Ventura counties, part of the national “No Kings Day of Nonviolent Action.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2026
According to Erica Chenoweth, director of the Nonviolent Action Lab at Harvard University’s Kennedy School, protest participation in counties that voted for Trump has increased by 60%.
From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026
Following World War II, Randolph co-founded the League for Nonviolent Civil Disobedience Against Military Segregation, which encouraged men to refuse to register or serve in the armed forces.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 23, 2025
Dexter King served as chairman of The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change and was president of the King Estate, working to protect the family’s intellectual property.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 10, 2024
Nonviolent passive resistance is effective as long as your opposition adheres to the same rules as you do.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
