nonviolent

adjective

non·​vi·​o·​lent ˌnän-ˈvī-ə-lənt How to pronounce nonviolent (audio)
: abstaining or free from violence
nonviolently adverb

Examples of nonviolent in a Sentence

He argued that nonviolent drug offenders should receive shorter sentences.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Last week, Biden commuted the sentences of roughly 1,500 people who were released from prison and placed on home confinement during the coronavirus pandemic and pardoned 39 Americans convicted of nonviolent crimes, marking the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history. Jonathan Mattise The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 21 Dec. 2024 Listen to this article Loading your audio article President Joe Biden’s recent decision to grant clemency to nearly 1,500 Americans and pardon 39 individuals convicted of nonviolent crimes has stirred controversy across the political spectrum. Emma Withrow, Baltimore Sun, 19 Dec. 2024 President Joe Biden extended clemency to an unprecedented number of people Thursday, granting pardons to 39 people convicted of nonviolent crimes and commuting the sentences of another 1,499. Javier Zarracina, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024 Of those, five were convicted in Middle Tennessee and had been serving sentences for nonviolent drug crimes. Evan Mealins, The Tennessean, 13 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for nonviolent 

Word History

First Known Use

1905, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nonviolent was in 1905

Dictionary Entries Near nonviolent

Cite this Entry

“Nonviolent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonviolent. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

nonviolent

adjective
non·​vi·​o·​lent (ˈ)nän-ˈvī-ə-lənt How to pronounce nonviolent (audio)
1
: not using violence : peaceful
2
: of, relating to, or marked by nonviolence
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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