pacifism

noun

pac·​i·​fism ˈpa-sə-ˌfi-zəm 

1

: opposition to war or violence as a means of settling disputes

specifically : refusal to bear arms on moral or religious grounds

For Quakers pacifism is a major tenet of belief.

2

: an attitude or policy of nonresistance

efforts toward pacifism and civil rights

Examples of pacifism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In other words, pacifism doesn’t mean that parents can’t set boundaries. —Gail Cornwall, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2025

As always, the odd man out is Germany, the richest and most populous European power that will not shed its civil religion of pacifism. —Josef Joffe, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2016

Folk and pacifism might be on brand for Bob Dylan, but the musician had quite a gravitation to throwing punches…allegedly. —Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 1 Apr. 2025

Now things were changing: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was showing that German attitudes about pacifism needed to be reconsidered. —Malcolm Hillgartner Tanya Pérez Lance Neal, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French pacifisme, from pacifique pacific

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pacifism

• autism
• fascism
• racism
• sikhism
• statism
• sufism
• thomism
• tourism
• tropism
• abolitionism
• aldosteronism
• americanism

Kids Definition

pacifism

noun

pac·​i·​fism ˈpas-ə-ˌfiz-əm 

: opposition to war or violence as a means of settling disputes

pacifist

-fəst 

noun