nonviolent

adjective

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

Synonyms of nonviolent

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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.
In this retelling Rama is described as a Baladeva (one of nine nonviolent heroes in Jainism) and Lakshmana as a Vasudeva (a warrior hero). — Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026 That feeling of closure was shattered last week when her attacker was paroled under a controversial law that makes nonviolent offenders eligible for early release. — Doha Madani, NBC news, 26 Oct. 2026 During the debate, Bailey restated his opposition to the state’s elimination of cash bail for nonviolent offenders and to sanctuary policies on immigrants that limit cooperation between state and local police and federal immigration authorities. — Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026 According to Flood, Forrest was a minimum-security prisoner serving a sentence for a nonviolent drug possession offense and was paroled in December 2025. — Elaine Rojas-Castillo, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026 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

Rhymes for nonviolent

See All Rhymes for nonviolent

Browse Nearby Words

nonviolence
nonviolent
nonviral
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nonviolent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonviolent. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Pyrrhic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All