noun
-
a person who supports pacifism
-
a person who refuses military service
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of pacifist
From the French word pacifiste, dating back to 1905–10. See pacific, -ist
Explanation
A person who opposes the use of war or violence to settle a dispute is called a pacifist. If you are a pacifist, you talk through your differences with others instead of fighting. A pacifist is a peacemaker — even its Latin origins of pax, or "peace" and facere, "to make" show it. If you are a pacifist, you avoid physical confrontations. The beliefs and actions of peacemakers can also be described as pacifist, as in someone whose pacifist beliefs lead him to take part in nonviolent protests against a war.
Vocabulary lists containing pacifist
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
I Am Malala
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Catcher in the Rye
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Nimbly, it manages to be both a pacifist film and a subversive one with no faith in the system as it stands.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Japan has been gradually moving away from its post-World War II pacifist status -- increasing military spending, ramping up defence pacts and deploying missile launchers to its outer islands.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
Miyazaki is a noted pacifist, but “Princess Mononoke” is his most humanist work.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
Japan must "strengthen its defence capabilities", Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has told the BBC, emphasising the need to revisit the pacifist posture that has defined the country since World War Two.
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026
Area Teenager Chooses Poorly My mother, the pacifist, would kill me dead if she knew what I’d just done.
From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon
Mr. Kurlansky’s heart seems to lie with the pacifists, even as he recognizes their practical shortcomings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2025
The Amish are pacifists, he hastened to add.
From New York Times ● Nov. 23, 2024
"These people are not pacifists; they have intentionally or otherwise become pawns of the aggressor," Wang wrote.
From Reuters ● Oct. 12, 2023
“So what the Amish do usually — they’re pacifists, they don’t fight anybody — they just walk away.”
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 26, 2023
The guards, some of whom had previously identified themselves as pacifists, fell quickly into the role of hard-bitten disciplinarians.
From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
