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pacifism

pacifism

6 6.2
The belief that using violence, like fighting or war, is wrong and people should solve problems peacefully
  • noun
  • /ˈpæsɪˌfɪzəm/
translation icon : pacifismo
  • Her dedication to pacifism was evident in her refusal to support any violent protests.
  • postwar pacifism
  • practical pacifism
  • Christian pacifism

And he he later rescinded his hardcore pacifism.

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Examples

  • A pacifist, which is what I am, can be the strongest resister, and pacifism the most defiant form of resistance.

    Academic text (2009)
  • Pacifism is not something to hide behind.

  • Today your father broke his vow of pacifism.

  • Surely your pacifism doesn't extend to a few birds, does it?

  • Within these religions were sects that advocated pacifism as a way of life.

    Blog text (4)
  • The first significant movement to emerge proclaiming pacifism as the only way was led by Mahatma Gandhi.

    Blog text (4)
  • The debate over the morality of war is dominated by four major theories: pacifism, militarism, realism, and the just war tradition.

    Academic text (2017)
  • In class, I debated pacifism with the Tibetan boys, having no notion of a country I would violently defend.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • By staying here, we women will be betraying the central tenet of our faith which is pacifism, because by staying we will knowingly be placing ourselves in a direct collision course with violence, either by us or against us.

  • Moreover, the feminism of the time was closely allied with a resurgent pacifism that resented masculine honor for other reasons.

    Academic text (2002)

Synonyms

nonviolence
vspacifism
18 4.1

Using peaceful actions to bring about social or political change

is the belief that violence is wrong rather than the active methods
pacificism
vspacifism
8.9

A belief that all conflicts should be solved peacefully and violence should not be used

is the same belief but differs only in the label used

Antonyms

8 7.7

A belief that a country should build a strong army and use it to gain or protect power

5 7.9

Unfriendly and aggressive behavior that tries to start a fight

How Peaceful

pacifism
6 6.2
nonviolence
18 4.1

Surface Forms

pacifism singular
pacifisms plural

Morphology

pacifism = pacifist (transparent) = pacif + ism

Formation from the pacif- stem plus the suffix '-ism' yields a doctrine or ideology, which directly matches the headword's meaning.

Etymology

Pacifism comes from the Latin word pax, which means 'peace', and the ending -ism, which means 'a belief'. The same root is in pacify ('to make peaceful'), so pacifism is the belief that problems should be solved without violence.