peaceloving

Peaceloving is an adjective used to describe people, groups, or policies that prioritize peace and nonviolence, and that seek harmonious relations rather than conflict. The term emphasizes an affinity for peaceful means in resolving disputes, and a disposition toward avoiding aggression.

The term is formed from peace and loving; the more common spelling in many varieties of English is peace-loving or peace loving, while peaceloving appears as an unhyphenated variant in some texts. It is typically used descriptively rather than as a formal ideology.

As a descriptor, peaceloving conveys warmth or fondness for peace without necessarily prescribing specific political programs. It can apply to individuals’ character, cultural attitudes, or diplomatic stances. It is distinct from pacifism, which denotes a principled opposition to war or violence, and from merely conciliatory rhetoric, though overlapping in promoting nonviolent means for dispute resolution.

In political discourse, peaceloving language can appear earnest but may be criticized as vague or idealistic if not accompanied by concrete proposals for achieving peaceful outcomes. Similarly, some critics argue that a peaceloving stance can overlook legitimate security concerns if interpreted as naivety.

See also pacifism, pacifist, nonviolence, conciliatory diplomacy, peace movement.