Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A political activist who publicly opposes war or the proliferation of weapons; a pacifist.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Derog. someone who prefers negotiations to armed conflict in the conduct of foreign relations.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun sometimes derogatory Someone who publicly opposes armed conflict in general, or a particular conflict; or who publicly opposes the proliferation of weapons.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun someone who prefers negotiations to armed conflict in the conduct of foreign relations

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

peace +‎ -nik

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Examples

  • But for actual policymaking, a Jewish peacenik is no substitute for someone with actual ties to the other perspectives in the region:

    Matthew Yglesias » A Team of Coreligionists 2009

  • So, descending on Washington to hear politicians and Jewish activists underline their support for Israel might present a challenge for a left leaning "peacenik" - Jew.

    AIPAC, ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS 2008

  • Mr Clegg - who denied he was a "peacenik" - said control orders should go as they distracted from the "real objectives" of gathering court evidence and suspects could abscond.

    Evening Standard - Home 2011

  • That you remember that George McGovern, the man the right labels a peacenik, flew dozens of missions in WW II.

    Sam Greenfield: On This Memorial Day, I Ask ... Sam Greenfield 2011

  • Indeed, one Islamic '"peacenik" was interviewed on Turkish television saying he fully intended to die.

    Turkey's Calculated Concern 2010

  • Indeed, one Islamic '"peacenik" was interviewed on Turkish television saying he fully intended to die.

    Turkey's Calculated Concern 2010

  • The "O-Bomb-A" moniker is just my way of referencing "peacenik" Barry's naive comments about invading Pakistan and bombing Iran .... as well as how he consistently bombs in the candidates debates ... you know, all the sort of stuff that the GOP would use to slaughter this pretender if he were the Democratic nominee (which, fortunately he won't be).

    Yepsen: Obama Was The Best At The J-J Dinner 2009

  • But Obama also feared that the "peacenik" label could hurt him in the fall.

    News & Politics 2010

  • The "peacenik" couple became Quakers, even taking the surname Stowe, after the great Quaker abolitionist author of Uncle Tom's Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe.

    Dose.ca Music briefs John Mackie 2010

  • WASHINGTON: An American '' peacenik '' in possession of items relating to Mahatma Gandhi has offered to withdraw them from a scheduled auction on Thursday if the Indian government shifts its budgetary priority from military spending to health care.

    The Times of India 2009

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