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Peaceful vs Nonviolent - What's the difference?

peaceful | nonviolent |

As adjectives the difference between peaceful and nonviolent

is that peaceful is not at war or disturbed by strife or turmoil while nonviolent is not violent; without violence; following a philosophy of nonviolence; the opposite of violent.

peaceful

English

Alternative forms

* peacefull (archaic)

Adjective

(en-adj)
  • Not at war or disturbed by strife or turmoil.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-20, volume=408, issue=8845, magazine=(The Economist)
    • , title= Old soldiers? , passage=Whether modern, industrial man is less or more warlike than his hunter-gatherer ancestors is impossible to determine.
  • Inclined to peace.
  • Motionless and calm.

    • Synonyms

    * (inclined to peace) peaceable, pacific * (quiet) tranquil, placid

    Antonyms

    * nonpeaceful * belligerent * violent * warring

    Derived terms

    * peaceful coexistence * peacefully * peacefulness

    Related terms

    * peacemaker * peace offering * peace officer * peace pipe * peacetime

    nonviolent

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Not violent; without violence; following a philosophy of nonviolence; the opposite of violent.
  • * {{quote-news, author=(Jesse Jackson), title=In the Ferguson era, Malcolm X’s courage in fighting racism inspires more than ever, work=(The Guardian) (London), date=20 February 2015 citation
    • , passage=When Malcolm X was assassinated in 1965 – 50 years ago on Saturday – I was an activist in the civil rights movement of Martin Luther King, a man of peace who led the nonviolent protests that brought down segregation in America, and ushered in the civil rights and voting rights acts.}}

    Synonyms

    * pacific

    Antonyms

    * violent