nonconfrontational

adjective

non·​con·​fron·​ta·​tion·​al ˌnän-ˌkän-(ˌ)frən-ˈtā-shnəl 

-shə-nᵊl

: avoiding or being without confrontation

nonconfrontational protesters

a nonconfrontational meeting

LeVake is so profoundly nonconfrontational that he inspires instant trust.

—Josh Tyrangiel

… offering his advice in private meetings and public testimony in a direct but noninflammatory and nonconfrontational way …

—Robert S. McNamara

nonconfrontationally adverb

When he or she arrives, discreetly and nonconfrontationally say that the wine you ordered is not to your taste.

—Matt Kramer

Examples of nonconfrontational in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Both admit to being nonconfrontational and shy about their feelings for each other, which led to the miscommunication. —Sadiba Hasan, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2023

When he was released on Jan. 18, 2013, Spriestersbach remained, in this way, a perfect public-policy problem: lucid enough to live on his own; independent-minded enough to refuse treatment; and, though not without his quirks, decidedly nonconfrontational. —New York Times, 26 July 2022

For baby-on-board incidents, a polite and nonconfrontational appeal to the parents can help. —Christopher Elliott, Dallas News, 26 May 2023

Or a nonconfrontational way to escape an unhappy pairing? —Ronda Kaysen, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1968, in the meaning defined above