nonthreatening
adjective
non·threat·en·ing
ˌnän-ˈthret-niŋ 
-ˈthre-tᵊn-iŋ
1
: not constituting a threat
a nonthreatening illness
2
: not likely to cause anxiety
a nonthreatening environment
also
: innocuous sense 2
Examples of nonthreatening in a Sentence
It's best to approach the dog in a calm, nonthreatening way.
Recent Examples on the Web
Her previous recipes have included homemade marmalade, ratatouille, pasta from scratch, and tzatziki dip, which all sound lovely and nonthreatening.
—
Li Goldstein, Bon Appétit, 31 Mar. 2023
Talk over your concerns with your boss in a nonthreatening and professional way.
—Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2022
Much like Uncle Tom, Xavier, the perfect biracial teenager, is presented as a nonthreatening fantasy for the book’s white audience.
—Kiley Reid, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2020
There were only nine cases in the city; even to a doctor, that seemed nonthreatening.
—Jonathan Kolatch, WSJ, 7 Apr. 2020
The whole production is tidy, predictable, nonthreatening, and occasionally entertaining.
—Michael J. Socolow, Quartz, 19 Dec. 2019
The whole production is tidy, predictable, nonthreatening and occasionally entertaining.
—Michael J. Socolow, The Conversation, 17 Dec. 2019
His quirky behavior renders him nonthreatening during investigations.
—Katie Walsh, chicagotribune.com, 31 Oct. 2019
Teachers are trained how to stand in a nonthreatening way.
—Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 19 Nov. 2019
Li Goldstein, Bon Appétit, 31 Mar. 2023
Talk over your concerns with your boss in a nonthreatening and professional way.
—Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2022
Much like Uncle Tom, Xavier, the perfect biracial teenager, is presented as a nonthreatening fantasy for the book’s white audience.
—Kiley Reid, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2020
There were only nine cases in the city; even to a doctor, that seemed nonthreatening.
—Jonathan Kolatch, WSJ, 7 Apr. 2020
The whole production is tidy, predictable, nonthreatening, and occasionally entertaining.
—Michael J. Socolow, Quartz, 19 Dec. 2019
The whole production is tidy, predictable, nonthreatening and occasionally entertaining.
—Michael J. Socolow, The Conversation, 17 Dec. 2019
His quirky behavior renders him nonthreatening during investigations.
—Katie Walsh, chicagotribune.com, 31 Oct. 2019
Teachers are trained how to stand in a nonthreatening way.
—Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 19 Nov. 2019
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nonthreatening.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near nonthreatening
Cite this Entry
“Nonthreatening.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonthreatening. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nonthreatening
adjective
non·threat·en·ing
-ˈthret-ᵊn-iŋ
1
: not constituting a threat
a nonthreatening illness
2
: not likely to cause anxiety
nonthreatening activities
also
: innocuous sense 2
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share