Dictionary

pacifism en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈpæsɪfɪzəm/
• (US) audio

Etymology

From French pacifisme, from pacifique; pacific + -ism.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The support of peace, specifically: ▸ The conviction that it is morally wrong to settle disputes (especially between countries) by war or other violent means.
   • I am not only a pacifist but a militant pacifist. I am willing to fight for peace. Nothing will end war unless the people themselves refuse to go to war. 1931, Albert Einstein, (famous quote):
   • The individual pacifist (who may or may not follow a particular religion) can for example support voluntary euthanasia while at the same time retaining a consistent view about how to approach issues surrounding violent conflict and the common good. Although such issues raise complex ethical dilemmas, for some, pacifism can accomodate^([sic]) the possibility of killing in certain circumstances. 2023, Mike DeSousa, “Defining Pacifism”, in Active Pacifist:
2. (countable, uncountable) The support of peace, specifically: ▸ The ethical avoidance of inflicting harm on others in one's daily life.
   • Pacifism forbids us from killing would-be murderers in self-defense, but terrorism permits us to slit the throat of a 17-year-old working a night shift at the zoo.[…]Pacifism also has the modal implication that no possible wrongful aggressor can be permissibly harmed, even in possible worlds where doing so is the only feasible means of saving oneself or others. 2018, Blake Hereth, “Animal Rights Terrorism and Pacifism”, in American Philosophical Association:
3. (countable, uncountable) The support of peace, specifically: ▸ The combination of the above two philosophical viewpoints.
4. (countable, uncountable) The additional challenge of winning a game without harming any enemy characters.

Forms

Antonyms

militarism (antonym(s) of “peaceful doctrine”) · bellicism (antonym(s) of “peaceful doctrine”) · warism (antonym(s) of “peaceful doctrine”)

Deriveds

antipacifism · anarcho-pacifism · ultra-pacifism

Relateds

pacificism · pacifist · pacific · pacificist

Synonyms

Gandhism (peaceful doctrine) · nonkilling · ahimsa

Translations (75)

th สันตินิยม (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · ca pacifisme (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · ps صلح پسندي (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · kmr aştîxwazî (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · hy պացիֆիզմ (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · ro pacifism (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · el πασιφισμός (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · kk пацифизм (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · nl pacifisme (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · fa صلحطلبی (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · fi rauhanaate (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · fy pasifisme (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · tg сулҳҷӯӣ (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · pl pacyfizm (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · pt pacifismo (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · uk пацифі́зм (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · es pacifismo (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · kmr pasîfîzm (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · scn pacifìsimu (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · eo pacismo (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · lt pacifizmas (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · ja 平和主義 (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · ar سَلَامِيَّة (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · scn pacifismu (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · ar سِلْمِيَّة (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · it pacifismo (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · uz patsifizm (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · tr pasifizm (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · fr pacifisme (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · ur اَمْن پَسَنْدی (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · fi pasifismi (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · nb pasifisme (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · bg пацифи́зъм (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · be пацыфі́зм (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · sh пацифѝзам (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · nn pasifisme (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · ko 평화주의 (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · sk pacifizmus (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · sh pacifìzam (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · ms pasifisme (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · cs pacifismus (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · et patsifism (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · gl pacifismo (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · bn শান্তিবাদ (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · mk мирољубивост (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · ga síochánachas (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · tl pasipismo (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · ms faham pententeraman (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · hu pacifizmus (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · sv pacifism (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · az pasifizm (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · co pacifismu (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · sl pacifizem (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · ky пацифизм (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · kmr şernexwazî (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · km សន្តិនិយម (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · da pacifisme (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · tk pasifizm (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · vi chủ nghĩa hoà bình (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · sq pacifizëm (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · my ငြိမ်းချမ်းရေးဝါဒ (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · cmn 和平主義 /和平主义 (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · ka პაციფიზმი (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · fa صلحجویی (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · de Pazifismus (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · lv pacifisms (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · mk пацифи́зам (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · mn пацифизм (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · tg сулҳталабӣ (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · tg патсифизм (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · el ειρηνισμός (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · hi शांतिवाद (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · ru пацифи́зм (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · he פָּצִיפִיזְם (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence) · hi शान्तिवाद (doctrine that disputes should be settled without violence)