peaceful - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

From Middle English peesful, pesful, paisful, pesefull. By surface analysis, peace +‎ -ful.

peaceful (comparative more peaceful or peacefuller or peacefuler, superlative most peaceful or peacefullest or peacefulest)

  1. Not at war; not disturbed by strife or turmoil.
    Antonyms: warring, at war
    peaceful protest
    • 2013 July 20, “Old soldiers?”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845:
      Whether modern, industrial man is less or more warlike than his hunter-gatherer ancestors is impossible to determine. […] One thing that is true, though, is that murder rates have fallen over the centuries, as policing has spread and the routine carrying of weapons has diminished. Modern society may not have done anything about war. But peace is a lot more peaceful.
  2. Inclined to peace.
    Synonyms: dovish, irenic, pacate, peaceable, pacific, pacifistic, roolie; see also Thesaurus:peaceable
    Antonyms: belligerent, violent; see also Thesaurus:quarrelsome
  3. Motionless and calm.
    Synonyms: tranquil, placid, still, quiet; see also Thesaurus:calm
    • 1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 220, about Hanmer, Wales:
      Attractive cottages look out on a scene so peaceful that lapping wavelets, stirred by the breeze, are often the loudest sound to be heard.

not at war or disturbed by strife or turmoil — see also pacific,‎ peacelover

inclined to peace; peaceable

Translations to be checked

Derived from the derogatory term religion of peace, which is used against Islam itself for its association with violent attacks by Islamic extremists, and alleged support and lack of condemnation against them by certain Muslim communities.

peaceful (plural peacefuls)

  1. (video games) A non-player character who is not hostile to the player.
    You can trade with some of the peacefuls in the town area.
  2. (India, Islam, Islamophobic, Internet slang, offensive) a Muslim; especially a violent member of a radical Islamist group.
    • 2021, Raghu Karnad, The Wire‎[1]:
      They only have to use a bit of code to name those people; nowadays they call them “peacefuls”. A smirking euphemism is all it takes to sail through Twitter’s filter, and keep the hate-speech flowing.