PACIFIST Synonyms: 62 Similar and Opposite Words

pacifist 1 of 2

noun

ˈpa-sə-fist

Definition of pacifist

as in dove

a person who opposes war or warlike policies a committed pacifist, Gandhi succeeded in bringing about Indian independence using only nonviolence

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

pacifist

2 of 2

adjective

variants or pacifistic

as in pacific

inclined to live in peace and to avoid war the newspaper's editorial board has clearly staked out a pacifist position on the current conflict

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of pacifist

Noun

His father, Kenneth, was a pacifist and a conscientious objector in World War II, which made the family somewhat outcast in its small hometown. — Barbara Isenberg, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026 The Anabaptists were a radical nonconformist sect that took the egalitarian, pacifist, and renunciatory injunctions of the Bible seriously and tried to organize communal living, before being ruthlessly persecuted by the authorities and other Protestant sects. — Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026

Adjective

From the other side of the ideological spectrum, anti-Nazis interpreted the tolerant and pacifist spirit of the film as a rebuke to Nazi eugenics and militarism. — Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 18 July 2026 His ideas are later used to discourage violently spearing food with a knife, and instead promote the pacifist chopstick. — New York Times, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for pacifist

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pacifist

Noun

The memorial, which features sculptures of an angel and bronze doves, is located in a cemetery that is also home to the world’s largest Catholic mausoleum.

— Luis Andres Henao, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Hila Gaier, who was on the flight, said that when the plane dove passengers couldn't move.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of dove

Adjective

National Aquarium cams The National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland, operates a series of cameras of marine animals, including reef sharks, jellyfish and fish in a Pacific coral reef.

— Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 1 June 2026
These conditions tend to suppress Atlantic hurricane development, whereas the eastern and central Pacific hurricane seasons are typically more active during strong El Niño events.

— Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 1 June 2026

Definition of pacific

Adjective

The majority of protesters have been peaceful, but violence on the fringes is having an impact, with a daily menu of fireworks thrown at police and volleys of tear gas fired at high school pupils.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
Anger boiling over While many of the latest demonstrations have been peaceful, anger has boiled over.

— Colette Davidson, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of peaceful

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“Pacifist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pacifist. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of pacifist

noun

adjective

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