pacific
adjective
tending to make or preserve peace; conciliatory.
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pacific
American
[puh-sif-ik]
/ pəˈsɪf ɪk /
adjective
-
tending to make or preserve peace; conciliatory.
pacific overtures.
- Synonyms:
- dovish
-
a pacific disposition.
- Antonyms:
- antagonistic, quarrelsome, argumentative
-
at peace; peaceful.
a pacific era in history.
- Synonyms:
- quiet
-
The Wabash is a pacific river.
-
Pacific,
-
of or relating to the Pacific Ocean.
-
of or relating to the region bordering on the Pacific Ocean.
the Pacific states.
-
noun
-
the Pacific. Pacific Ocean.
-
Pacific, a steam locomotive having a four-wheeled front truck, six driving wheels, and a two-wheeled rear truck.
pacific
1
British
/ pəˈsɪfɪk /
adjective
-
tending or conducive to peace; conciliatory
-
not aggressive; opposed to the use of force
-
free from conflict; peaceful
Pacific
2
British
/ pəˈsɪfɪk /
noun
adjective
Usage
What does pacific mean? The adjective pacific means peaceful, calm, tranquil, or nonviolent. When capitalized, Pacific is best known as the name of the Pacific Ocean, often simply called the Pacific. The adjective pacific is not used nearly as often as some of its common synonyms, such as peaceful. Example: While their neighbors were known as warriors, the tribe was pacific, specializing in trade.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of pacific
First recorded in 1540–50; from Middle French pacifique, from Latin pācificus, literally, “peacemaking,” equivalent to pāci- (combining form of pāx “peace”) + -ficus adjective suffix; see origin at peace, -fic
Explanation
The word pacific refers to people, actions, and ideas that are peaceful. Pacific actions promote and create peace. A pacifist is a person who opposes all wars, and that word can help you remember that pacific things are also peaceful. All pacific things are done in a peaceful way or help the cause of peace. Protesting a war is pacific. Signing a peace treaty is pacific. The philosophy of being pacific is called pacifism. Don't confuse pacific with a small "p" with Pacific with a big "P" — as in the Pacific Ocean.
Vocabulary lists containing pacific
Vocabulary from Woodrow Wilson's "Fourteen Points" (1918)
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American Gods
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James Monroe's First Inaugural Address (1817)
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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.
See Examples For:
“Tragically, a southern pacific rattlesnake was hiding under the brown padded envelope and bit Addy’s left hand,” the family wrote on the fundraising page.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Transborder continued to drag from geopolitical issues, while pacific continued to see the impact of yield normalization following the prior year’s industry capacity growth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2025
In the city in Canada's pacific northwest, Ms Yamauchi's story is as common as the rainy weather.
From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2025
The beginning of wisdom is the quest to master one's fear, the urge to turn away from fear-driven hatreds, to find better, more pacific, more loving ways.
From Salon ● Oct. 15, 2023
Now, with his hands folded over his stomach, answering questions with the pacific smile of a pontiff granting dispensations, he was so perfectly at his ease that there was something palpably dishonest about it.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
Pacific Coast is registered in the Santa Barbara County, Calif., town of Orcutt through a corporate structure that includes a parent entity in Delaware by the same name.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
On the trail by the Pacific, as I panted and shook with fear in my new hiking boots at the bottom of the mountain, Susie was already on top, cheering me from above.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
The Panama Canal greatly reduces the time and distance ships have to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
One of the Pacific Coast owners, Belgian-Pakistani investor Alshair Fiyaz, visited Venezuela earlier this year, as did Santa Barbara-based Hasbo.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
It hits the middle of the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Fiji.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
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.
