Meanings
adjectivenon-lethal (not comparable)
alternative nonlethal
- not comparableDesigned to cause incapacitation without causing death.
Government officials think a universal malodor, or offensive odor, might prove effective as a non-lethal weapon.
Synonyms: less-lethal
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveDesigned to cause incapacitation without causing death.
Similar
Also see
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*né
- Proto-Germanic*ne
- Proto-Indo-European*ís?
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁óynos
- Proto-Germanic*ainaz
- Proto-Germanic*nainaz
- Proto-West Germanic*nain
- Old Englishnān
- Middle Englishnon
- Old Englishnān
- Old Englishnān-
- Middle Englishnon-
- Englishnon-
- Englishlethal
- Englishnon-lethal
Translations
Russian несмерте́льный, нелета́льный
- несмерте́льный (nesmertélʹnyj)not capable of causing death
- нелета́льный (neletálʹnyj)not capable of causing death
Ukrainian несмерте́льний, нелета́льний
- несмерте́льний (nesmertélʹnyj)not capable of causing death
- нелета́льний (neletálʹnyj)not capable of causing death
Cite this entry
APA
non-lethal. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/non-lethal
MLA
“non-lethal.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/non-lethal. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “non-lethal,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/non-lethal.
Source: non-lethal on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.