pacifist

American  

[pas-uh-fist] / ˈpæs ə fɪst /

noun

1. a person who believes in pacifism or is opposed to war or to violence of any kind.

2. a person whose personal belief in pacifism causes them to refuse being drafted into military service.

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adjective

1. pacifistic.

ˈpacifist British  

/ ˈpæsɪfɪst /

noun

1. a person who supports pacifism

2. a person who refuses military service

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adjective

1. advocating, relating to, or characterized by pacifism

Other Word Forms

• antipacifist noun
• nonpacifist noun
• propacifist noun
• semipacifist adjective
• unpacifist adjective

Etymology

Origin of pacifist

From the French word pacifiste, dating back to 1905–10. See pacific, -ist

Example Sentences

“For us, being a pacifist country wasn’t just a political label. It has been our moral compass after the tragedy,” said Yagi.

From The Wall Street Journal

Mutti told her in no uncertain terms that she was proud to be a pacifist, that she would be a pacifist till the day she died.

From Literature

My father, the hardcore pacifist who can’t even squish a spider, reaches for the power cord snaking from the television to the wall socket.

From Literature

After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Germany dropped a long-standing pacifist tradition shaped by its dark World War II past and started ramping up spending to overhaul the armed forces.

From Barron's

After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Germany dropped a long-standing pacifist tradition and started ramping up spending to overhaul its long underfunded armed forces.

From Barron's

Related Words

• peacemaker