pacifism

American  

[pas-uh-fiz-uhm] / ˈpæs əˌfɪz əm /

Also pacificism

noun

1. opposition to war or violence of any kind.

2. refusal to engage in military activity because of one's principles or beliefs.

3. the principle or policy that all differences among nations should be adjusted without recourse to war.

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pacifism British  

/ ˈpæsɪˌfɪzəm /

noun

1. the belief that violence of any kind is unjustifiable and that one should not participate in war

2. the belief that international disputes can be settled by arbitration rather than war

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pacifism Cultural  

1. The view that war is morally unacceptable and never justified (see conscientious objector). The term is sometimes applied to the belief that international disputes should be settled peacefully.

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Other Word Forms

• antipacifism noun
• propacifism noun

Etymology

Origin of pacifism

1905–10; < pacifisme. See pacific, -ism

Example Sentences

Today, Japan’s decadeslong embrace of pacifism is fading as the country confronts a more dangerous and unpredictable world.

From The Wall Street Journal

It is a tough sell in a country where pacifism is a deeply ingrained civic value.

From The Wall Street Journal

The problem isn’t pacifism, but young people posing a new variation on the age-old question: “What is in it for me?”

From The Wall Street Journal

The shift isn’t as controversial as it once was in a country with a strong post-World War II tradition of pacifism.

From The Wall Street Journal

To Garrison, whom Mr. Kurlansky credits as a founder of American pacifism, violence was always wrong, no matter the circumstances.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• accord
• friendship
• love
• reconciliation
• truce
• unity