nonintervention

noun

non·​in·​ter·​ven·​tion ˌnän-ˌin-tər-ˈven(t)-shən How to pronounce nonintervention (audio)
: the state or policy of not intervening
nonintervention in the affairs of other countries
noninterventionist noun or adjective

Examples of nonintervention in a Sentence

The country has adopted a policy of nonintervention.
Recent Examples on the Web Unlike that of so many Latin American nations, Chile’s military had a lengthy tradition of respect for constitutional rule, with smooth transitions between presidencies guaranteed by its strict nonintervention in political affairs. Ariel Dorfman, The New York Review of Books, 31 Aug. 2023 In standard accounts, the Peace of Westphalia, concluded in 1648, was the founding moment of the modern system of nation-states, establishing sovereignty as an absolute right and the principle of nonintervention in the domestic affairs of other countries. Thomas Peak, Foreign Affairs, 19 Apr. 2022 The third option is nonintervention. Kennedy Sessions, Chron, 3 Mar. 2023 On the one hand, diversity of political regimes, even those that are clearly not democracies and that do not respect human rights, is perhaps a desirable situation, especially if one views it from the perspective of the sacrosanct principle of nonintervention. Jorge G. Castañeda, CNN, 13 June 2022 European leaders, in particular, desperately wanted to avoid another regional war, but their nonintervention only succeeded in delaying World War II by three years, as Hitler and Mussolini used Spain as a test for their air forces and a training exercise for their troops. BostonGlobe.com, 19 Aug. 2021 The threat of losing military personnel at a time of spiraling violence has spurred rare public statements from military officials who once strictly adhered to a policy of nonintervention in Israeli politics. Shira Rubin, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2023 When nonintervention is a default, patients with conditions that actually require treatment can be endangered. Kate Cray, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2021 An obvious exception to the preference for nonintervention is the racist history of researchers unethically testing treatments on pregnant women of color. Kate Cray, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nonintervention.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1831, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nonintervention was in 1831

Dictionary Entries Near nonintervention

Cite this Entry

“Nonintervention.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonintervention. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

nonintervention

noun
non·​in·​ter·​ven·​tion ˌnän-ˌint-ər-ˈven-chən How to pronounce nonintervention (audio)
1
: the state or habit of not intervening
2
: refusal or failure to intervene

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