noncombatant

noun

non·​com·​bat·​ant ˌnän-kəm-ˈba-tᵊnt How to pronounce noncombatant (audio)
also
ˌnän-ˈkäm-bə-tənt How to pronounce noncombatant (audio)
: 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
noncombatant adjective

Examples of noncombatant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Those images are contrasted with two videos of drag queens, plus a clip of Dr. Levine — who is currently Assistant Secretary for Health and an admiral in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (which is not part of the Department of Defense and is only comprised of noncombatants). Samantha Riedel, Them, 16 Oct. 2024 The room is not just for veterans, but for noncombatants, too, caught up in the tragedy of war. Anna Mulrine Grobe, The Christian Science Monitor, 27 Sep. 2024 He is accused of shooting dead a noncombatant in a wheat field in Uruzgan province in 2012. Rod McGuirk, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2024 Israel has blamed civilian deaths in Gaza on Hamas, saying the group endangers noncombatants by using schools and residential neighborhoods as bases for operations. CBS News, 10 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for noncombatant 

Word History

First Known Use

1811, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of noncombatant was in 1811

Dictionary Entries Near noncombatant

Cite this Entry

“Noncombatant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/noncombatant. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.

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
noncombatant adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on noncombatant

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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