Dictionary.com | Meanings & Definitions of English Words (original) (raw)

nonviolence

noun

1. absence or lack of violence;
   state or condition of avoiding violence.
2. 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.

/ nɒnˈvaɪələns /

noun

1. abstention from the use of physical force to achieve goals

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Derived Forms

• nonˈviolent, adjective

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Word History and Origins

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Example Sentences

Called “the leading nonviolence theorist” by King, Lawson had studied Gandhi’s philosophy in India before joining the struggle in the South.

“The way in which he spoke of nonviolence, it was coming out of a depth of experience.”

What becomes of the civil rights movement if Bayard Rustin isn’t there to mentor the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on the principles of nonviolence or organize the March on Washington?

“I would not be a part of a movement if it wasn’t centered in nonviolence,” she says.

The civil rights movement led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was grounded in nonviolence.