nonviolence
Americannoun
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absence or lack of violence; state or condition of avoiding violence.
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the policy, practice, or technique of refraining from the use of violence, especially when reacting to or protesting against oppression, injustice, discrimination, or the like.
noun
Other Word Forms
- nonviolent adjective
Etymology
Origin of nonviolence
First recorded in 1830–35; nonviolence def. 2 was brought into prominence by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920–25, and again by Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1955–60; non- + violence; possibly a loan translation of Sanskrit ahiṃsā; ahimsa ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Participants carried signs denouncing “authoritarianism” and calling for the protection of democratic institutions, with many events emphasizing nonviolence and community organizing.
From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026
The nonviolence resulted from the organizers’ message to, and training for, rally attendees.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 21, 2025
And it only confused and offended Kennedy further when Smith tried to warn him that sometime in the not-too-distant future even those who preached nonviolence, like himself, would become fed up.
From Slate • Aug. 18, 2025
In comments last week, Sheinbaum has embraced nonviolence as a daily mantra, citing the legacies of Mahatma Gandhi, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela and Cesar Chavez.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2025
They must respond to violence with nonviolence; discipline must be maintained at all cost.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
