Pacifism
/ˈpæsɪfɪzəm/noun
The belief that war and violence are unjustified and should be avoided.
Did you know?Pacifism is built on the Latin root pac-, meaning “peace,” the same ancient root behind words like “appease” and “pacify,” showing how language has long treated peace as something that must be actively made.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pag-
“to fasten, fix, or make firm”
Latin
Latin
pax
“peace, treaty, absence of conflict”
Late Latin
Latin
pacificus
“peace-making, peaceable”
19th Century
English
pacifism
“the doctrine or principle of advocating peace and opposing war”
Modern English
English
pacifism
“the belief that violence and war should be rejected or avoided”