pacifism
noun
pac·i·fism
ˈpa-sə-ˌfi-zəm 
1
: opposition to war or violence as a means of settling disputes
specifically
: refusal to bear arms on moral or religious grounds
For Quakers pacifism is a major tenet of belief.
2
: an attitude or policy of nonresistance
efforts toward pacifism and civil rights
Examples of pacifism in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The letter claimed that Biden’s approach to Israel amounted to support of genocide in Gaza and was out of step with the pacifism expressed by Martin Luther King Jr., Morehouse’s most famous graduate.
—
Bill Barrow, Chicago Tribune, 19 May 2024
The letter claimed that Mr. Biden’s approach to Israel amounted to support of genocide in Gaza and was out of step with the pacifism expressed by Martin Luther King Jr., Morehouse’s most famous graduate.
—Darlene Supervillem Matt Brown, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 May 2024
The petition called the invitation antithetical to the pacifism Martin Luther King Jr., a Morehouse alumnus, expressed when opposing the Vietnam War.
—CBS News, 16 May 2024
The state will also have to convince the nation’s educational institutions to overcome their outdated ethos of pacifism; most top research universities still prohibit their engineers and scientists from collaborating with the armed forces.
—Tomohiko Taniguchi, Foreign Affairs, 16 Apr. 2024
For its part, Japan has made bold changes in defense policy after years of nominal pacifism, doubling the amount earmarked for military spending and acquiring Tomahawk missiles from the United States.
—Motoko Rich, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
To an extent, pacifism has served as a kind of balm for many Germans, who, given the extent of German crimes under Nazism, see no other moral way forward.
—James Angelos, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2023
This large-scale aid is all the more exceptional given Germany’s long-standing pacifism, which has historically led Berlin to refuse to send weapons to conflict zones.
—Norbert Röttgen, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2023
Political dishonesty, whether antisocial Antifa-ism or apathetic pacifism, has resulted in madness.
—Armond White, National Review, 15 Sep. 2023
Bill Barrow, Chicago Tribune, 19 May 2024
The letter claimed that Mr. Biden’s approach to Israel amounted to support of genocide in Gaza and was out of step with the pacifism expressed by Martin Luther King Jr., Morehouse’s most famous graduate.
—Darlene Supervillem Matt Brown, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 May 2024
The petition called the invitation antithetical to the pacifism Martin Luther King Jr., a Morehouse alumnus, expressed when opposing the Vietnam War.
—CBS News, 16 May 2024
The state will also have to convince the nation’s educational institutions to overcome their outdated ethos of pacifism; most top research universities still prohibit their engineers and scientists from collaborating with the armed forces.
—Tomohiko Taniguchi, Foreign Affairs, 16 Apr. 2024
For its part, Japan has made bold changes in defense policy after years of nominal pacifism, doubling the amount earmarked for military spending and acquiring Tomahawk missiles from the United States.
—Motoko Rich, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
To an extent, pacifism has served as a kind of balm for many Germans, who, given the extent of German crimes under Nazism, see no other moral way forward.
—James Angelos, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2023
This large-scale aid is all the more exceptional given Germany’s long-standing pacifism, which has historically led Berlin to refuse to send weapons to conflict zones.
—Norbert Röttgen, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2023
Political dishonesty, whether antisocial Antifa-ism or apathetic pacifism, has resulted in madness.
—Armond White, National Review, 15 Sep. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pacifism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near pacifism
Cite this Entry
“Pacifism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pacifism. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pacifism
noun
pac·i·fism
ˈpas-ə-ˌfiz-əm
: opposition to war or violence as a means of settling disputes
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