noninterventionism
|non-in-ter-ven-tion-ism|
🇺🇸
/ˌnɑnɪn.tɚˈvɛnʃənɪzəm/
🇬🇧
/ˌnɒnɪn.təˈvɛnʃənɪzəm/
policy/doctrine of not intervening
Etymology
'noninterventionism' originates from English, specifically the prefix 'non-' + the noun 'intervention' + the suffix '-ism', where 'non-' meant 'not', 'intervention' came from Latin 'interventio/intervenire' meaning 'a coming between/ to come between', and '-ism' denoted 'doctrine or practice'.
'intervention' developed from Latin 'intervenire' ('inter-' meaning 'between' + 'venire' meaning 'to come'), passed into Old French and Middle English as 'intervention', and the modern English compound 'noninterventionism' formed by adding the negating prefix 'non-' and the abstract-forming suffix '-ism'.
Initially the components referred simply to 'not' + 'coming between' + the abstract suffix, and over time the compound came to mean specifically the doctrine or policy of refusing to intervene; the core idea has remained focused on 'absence of intervention' but took a political/ideological sense with '-ism'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a political or diplomatic doctrine and policy advocating that a country should avoid interfering in the internal or external affairs of other countries, especially by refraining from military intervention or binding alliances.
During the interwar period, noninterventionism influenced debates about whether to join foreign conflicts or form military alliances.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Noun 2
the ideological position or movement that promotes noninterventionism as a guiding principle of foreign policy.
The party's platform emphasized noninterventionism, arguing that military entanglements harm national interests.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/10 06:10