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nonviolent

nonviolent

44 4.0
Not using violence or physical force
  • adjective
  • /nɒnˈvaɪələnt/
translation icon : no violento
  • The Montgomery Bus Boycott showed that nonviolent protest could help bring an end to segregation.
  • a nonviolent protest
  • nonviolent resistance
  • by nonviolent means

On several occasions, Gandhi believed in nonviolent civil disobedience.

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Examples

  • At the same time, many ethnic movements are increasingly inclined to seek nonviolent means of achieving their aims.

    Academic text (1997)
  • Hamas tried something else that was nonviolent civil resistance.

  • You know, this, this nonviolent communication, this, this, this concept.

  • Would that I could, but, you know, the whole nonviolent thing.

  • This is about functioning well as a nonviolent society.

  • Our struggle is a nonviolent struggle.

  • The Montgomery Bus Boycott showed that nonviolent protest could help bring an end to segregation.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • After the revolutions of 1989, the nonviolent option seems eminently more realistic.

    Academic text (1991)
  • Our struggle is a nonviolent struggle for change and justice.

  • Some Muslims had already begun on their own to initiate nonviolent actions in their work for reconciliation.

Synonyms

peaceful
vsnonviolent
144 1.0

Not using violence when protesting or solving a conflict

covers lack of physical force only not necessarily calm or harmony
nonaggressive
vsnonviolent
1 4.2

Calm and gentle, not likely to attack or fight

focuses specifically on absence of physical force rather than intent
noncombative
vsnonviolent
5.3

Calm and not wanting to fight or argue

does not involve physical force even when conflict occurs

Antonyms

violent
  • Offensive
2.5

Using strong force that causes harm

Compounds

A way of opposing a government without using violence, for example by refusing to obey laws

How Violent

violent
  • Offensive
2.5
aggressive
311 3.7
nonviolent
44 4.0
peaceful
428 1.0

Surface Forms

nonviolent positive
nonviolenter comparative
nonviolentest superlative

Morphology

nonviolent = violent (transparent) = non + violent + non

Formed by the productive negative prefix 'non-' plus the adjective 'violent', yielding the regular meaning 'not violent'.

Etymology

Nonviolent is built from non- meaning 'not' and violent, which comes from 'violence' meaning 'force' or 'harm'. So nonviolent means 'not using force', which is why it describes people or actions that try to change things peacefully without fighting.