nonviolent
adjective
non·vi·o·lent
ˌnän-ˈvī-ə-lənt 
: abstaining or free from violence
nonviolently
adverb
Examples of nonviolent in a Sentence
He argued that nonviolent drug offenders should receive shorter sentences.
Recent Examples on the Web
Peace journalism is a form of news reporting by which reporters frame their stories in ways that facilitate nonviolent responses to conflict, for example, by avoiding inflammatory words such as massacre, slaughter, or brutal.
—
Karen McIntyre, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
Sunday's event was put on by The Singing Resistance, a grassroots organization that uses song as a form of nonviolent protest.
—Jason Rantala, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Under the Clean Slate Act, HB 1836, the state now has until 2029 to create, test and launch systems to automate the sealing of eligible low-level, nonviolent criminal records after an individual meets all requirements and remains crime-free for a sustained period.
—Brian Fabes, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Danielson is not accused of being involved in any of these crimes, but their photograph — a mugshot taken after they were arrested during a nonviolent protest in 2019 — was published in stories about the string of murders, where they were linked to the group that perpetrated them.
—Tessa Stuart, Rolling Stone, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nonviolent
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.
Karen McIntyre, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
Sunday's event was put on by The Singing Resistance, a grassroots organization that uses song as a form of nonviolent protest.
—Jason Rantala, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Under the Clean Slate Act, HB 1836, the state now has until 2029 to create, test and launch systems to automate the sealing of eligible low-level, nonviolent criminal records after an individual meets all requirements and remains crime-free for a sustained period.
—Brian Fabes, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Danielson is not accused of being involved in any of these crimes, but their photograph — a mugshot taken after they were arrested during a nonviolent protest in 2019 — was published in stories about the string of murders, where they were linked to the group that perpetrated them.
—Tessa Stuart, Rolling Stone, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nonviolent
Cite this Entry
“Nonviolent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonviolent. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nonviolent
adjective
non·vi·o·lent
(ˈ)nän-ˈvī-ə-lənt
1
: not using violence : peaceful
2
: of, relating to, or marked by nonviolence
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
