What does nonviolence mean?
Nonviolence is the deliberate practice of opposing injustice, oppression, or harmful conduct without using physical force or threatening violence. It can include peaceful demonstrations, civil disobedience, refusal to cooperate, and other forms of resistance, but the term often carries a stronger ethical dimension: remaining nonviolent is presented as a commitment rather than merely an absence of fighting. Historically associated with movements led by figures such as Mohandas Gandhi, nonviolence has also been central to campaigns for civil rights, labor rights, peace, and religious or social reform. The word is commonly paired with “protest,” “resistance,” “movement,” and “discipline,” reflecting its use for both individual methods and organized principles. It remains relevant in public demonstrations, negotiations, education, conflict resolution, and political activism. As an uncountable noun, nonviolence is generally used in the singular and does not take an ordinary plural.
nounThe practice of resisting or opposing change, injustice, or oppression without using physical force or threats of physical force.
- The practice of opposing or resisting injustice, oppression, or harmful action without using physical violence.
"The movement was committed to nonviolence and sought change through peaceful protest and civil disobedience."
"Civil rights organizers used nonviolence to challenge segregation and political injustice."
"The protesters maintained their commitment to nonviolence even when confronted with threats."
Rare and not generally needed; nonviolence is normally an uncountable noun.
"The essay compares several historical nonviolences and their different strategies."
Nonviolence is a way of opposing injustice while refusing to become its instrument: the strongest protest can be the one that harms no one.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does nonviolence come from?
The word combines the prefix non-, meaning “not,” with violence, from Latin violentia, derived from violentus, “full of force or violence.” Its use in the modern sense developed during the 19th and 20th centuries, especially through campaigns associated with civil and political resistance. The Latin-derived family also includes violent, violate, and violation.
Related word forms
How nonviolence is actually used
Nonviolence is generally used as an uncountable noun. In modern usage, it usually denotes a principled practice or movement rather than merely the absence of visible conflict.
Easily confused with nonviolence
Nonviolence is a method of resisting wrongdoing without physical force, whereas noncompliance is simply a failure or refusal to comply with rules or instructions.