NONVIOLENT Synonyms: 39 Similar and Opposite Words

nonviolent

adjective

ˌnän-ˈvī-ə-lənt

Definition of nonviolent

as in peaceful

not involving violence or force nonviolent protests

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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.

Recent Examples of nonviolent The lawyer and activist became a major spiritual and political leader of India when his nonviolent resistance movement against British colonial rule helped led to the country’s independence. — USA Today, 15 Sep. 2026 Family members believe Sanchez-Corona was targeted because of a previous deportation following a nonviolent misdemeanor and probation violations as a teen. — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2026 The news was shared this week by Alice Marie Johnson, who was pardoned by Trump in 2020 after being sentenced to life in prison on a nonviolent drug charge in 1996. — Emily Trainham, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026 The movement is widely considered to be an artistic precursor to the modern BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) movement promoting nonviolent resistance to Israeli occupation. — News Desk, Artforum, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nonviolent

Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonviolent

Adjective

But this month, the most violent demonstrations in years — and tough policing — have raised concern about riots overshadowing hundreds of thousands of peaceful demonstrators marching against rising living costs and poor conditions in schools.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
As for the suites, the highlight is their private terraces, peaceful havens from which to admire, paradoxically, the urban whirlwind swirling below.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of peaceful

Adjective

An American passport has, for generations, been not just a peaceable visa but a kind of holy grail—a thing valued above all other official documents.

— Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026
These behaviors make having a productive discussion or peaceable relationship untenable.

— R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 3 July 2026

Definition of peaceable

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nonviolence

nonviolent

nonviscous

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“Nonviolent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonviolent. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of nonviolent

adjective

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