noncombatant

noncombatant — noun

1. someone who does not take part in active fighting during a war — especially a pe

1.名詞C1
釋義

someone who does not take part in active fighting during a war — especially a person serving in the military whose job involves medical care, religious support, or other non-combat duties

例句

The military chaplain was a noncombatant offering spiritual care at the field hospital.

role + noncombatant: chaplain providing pastoral care

Red Cross volunteers are noncombatants under international law while providing medical aid in war zones.

passive pattern: 'are noncombatants under [law]'

同義詞
  • civilian

    broader term for anyone not in the military; a noncombatant can be either a civilian or a uniformed service member with a non-fighting role

  • neutral

    focuses on not taking sides rather than not fighting; a neutral party may still be armed for self-defence, while a noncombatant carries no weapons

  • non-fighter

    informal equivalent; less precise in a legal or military sense

反義詞
  • combatant

    someone who actively fights in a war, with legal permission to use force

  • fighter

    broader and less formal than combatant

文法句型

count as a noncombatant

be classified as a noncombatant

be protected as a noncombatant

用法筆記

Used as a countable noun ('a noncombatant' / 'the noncombatants'). Commonly follows 'as' in the pattern count as / be classified as / be protected as a noncombatant. The term appears most frequently in international humanitarian law and Geneva Convention contexts, where noncombatants enjoy legal protection from direct attack. Contrasts with combatant, someone who is legally allowed to fight.

常見錯誤

❌The field medic was a noncombatant who fired back at the enemy.
✅The field medic was a noncombatant and never carried a weapon.
💡A noncombatant by definition does not participate in fighting; saying a noncombatant fired a weapon is contradictory.
❌All civilians are noncombatants, so they joined the army.
✅All civilians are noncombatants, so they are protected under the Geneva Conventions.
💡Noncombatant status means the person does NOT fight; joining the army would end that status.