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

Early leaders, like Margaret Fell and George Fox, wrote letters to King Charles II of England in the mid-17th century, defending their beliefs, including pacifism, in the face of persecution. —Joanne M. Pierce, The Conversation, 28 Jan. 2025

Despite Vincent’s own eventual pacifism, simply living in a world defined by war turns him bitter in the long run, a transformation the animators deftly capture through subtle details, like the worsening wrinkles beneath his eyes. —Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 27 Nov. 2024

Wells, a Fabian socialist like George Bernard Shaw, wrote a speculative treatise that predicted the ecology movement, the arms race, socialist pacifism, and WWII. —Armond White, National Review, 9 Oct. 2024

Their founding leader, an Englishwoman named Ann Lee, preached Quaker ideals, like pacifism and gender equality, but added collective ownership, a work ethic to embarrass Balzac, and, trickiest of all for a utopia trying to grow, celibacy. —Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024

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