What does antiwar mean?
Antiwar is an adjective describing opposition to war, either to warfare in general as a matter of principle or to one specific conflict or military campaign. It is most often used attributively, appearing in phrases such as antiwar movement, antiwar protest, and antiwar candidate, and it is a staple of political journalism and historical writing about movements like those against the Vietnam War. The word carries no inherent judgment beyond signaling opposition to armed conflict; it can describe principled pacifists, pragmatic policymakers, or grassroots demonstrators alike. Its opposite is typically expressed as prowar or hawkish. In American English it is usually written as a single closed form, while British style often prefers the hyphenated anti-war. The prefix derives from the ancient Greek anti-, meaning 'against', making the word's construction transparently literal: positioned against war.
adjectiveOpposed to war, or to a particular war, as a matter of principle or policy.
- Opposed to war in general as a matter of principle.
- Opposed to a particular war or military intervention.
"The antiwar movement drew hundreds of thousands of protesters to the capital."
"She became a committed antiwar activist during the Vietnam era."
"The senator's antiwar stance cost him support among hawkish voters."
The prefix 'anti-' comes straight from ancient Greek — the same building block behind 'antidote' and 'antibiotic' now labels everything from Vietnam-era teach-ins to modern protest marches.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of antiwar
Antiwar combines the prefix anti-, borrowed from ancient Greek anti meaning 'against' or 'opposite', with the noun war, which entered English from Old Northern French werre in the medieval period. The compound formed in English by straightforward prefixation, following the pattern of many other anti- compounds such as antislavery and anticlerical. It became especially prominent in twentieth-century political vocabulary, gaining wide currency during the Vietnam War era. Related formations using the same Greek prefix include antidote, antithesis, and antibiotic.
How antiwar is actually used
Neutral register, common in journalism and political discourse. Frequently used attributively before nouns (an antiwar rally). Often written with a hyphen ('anti-war') in British usage; the closed form 'antiwar' is standard in American English.
Easily confused with antiwar
A pacifist rejects all violence and war on moral grounds, while an antiwar position may oppose only a specific war or war in general without ruling out all use of force.