noncombatant

noun

non·​com·​bat·​ant ˌnän-kəm-ˈba-tᵊnt 

also

ˌnän-ˈkäm-bə-tənt 

: one that does not engage in combat: such as

a

: a member (such as a chaplain) of the armed forces whose duties do not include fighting

b

: civilian

noncombatant adjective

Examples of noncombatant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Strikes against civilian areas and aid coordinators underscore the complex challenges of distinguishing militants from noncombatants in densely populated areas. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024

Hamas data claiming 42,000 Gazan deaths without distinguishing between combatants and noncombatants stirs emotions and is endlessly repeated by the international press. —Lana Melman, Sun Sentinel, 8 Nov. 2024

The 25-year-old West Point graduate was a noncombatant, attached to Harney’s expedition as a mapmaker and topographer. —Tim Madigan, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024

More than two thousand have died and some ten thousand have been injured, many of them noncombatants. —Bernard Avishai, The New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1811, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

noncombatant

noun

non·​com·​ba·​tant

ˌnän-kəm-ˈbat-ᵊnt,

(ˈ)nän-ˈkäm-bət-ənt

1

: a member (as a chaplain) of the armed forces whose duties do not include fighting

2

: civilian

noncombatant adjective