Peacenik
/ˈpiːs.nɪk/noun
A person who actively advocates or campaigns for peace, especially against war.
Did you know?The suffix “-nik,” popularized in English through words such as “beatnik” and “Sputnik,” can turn an ordinary noun into a label for a person defined by an ideology or movement.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pak-
“To fasten, make firm, or agree—an ancestral root associated with settled relations and peace.”
Ancient Latin
Latin
pax
“Peace, an agreement, or a period without war.”
9th–10th Century
Old French
pais / paix
“Peace; a state of concord, from Latin pax.”
Middle English
English
pees / pees
“Peace, quiet, or freedom from disturbance.”
Modern English
English
peace
“A condition without war or conflict; the word later became the first element of peacenik.”
Mid-20th Century
English
-nik
“A person associated with or committed to something; an English suffix influenced by Yiddish and Russian usage and popularized by formations such as beatnik.”
1950s
American English
peacenik
“A person identified with peace activism, often originally used informally or dismissively.”