non-combatants
Those not fighting
Non-combatants are people not engaged in fighting during armed conflict—civilians, medical personnel, chaplains, and others protected under international law from direct attack.
The term distinguishes those who may legitimately be targeted from those who may not: The bombing killed dozens of non-combatants.
Military forces are expected to minimize harm to non-combatants, though this principle is often violated in practice.
People present but uninvolved
- populationAll inhabitants combined
- residentsPeople living somewhere
- citizensMembers of a nation
- inhabitantsPermanent occupants of place
locals · refugees · evacuees · displaced persons · expatriates · immigrants · settlers · community
Helper of suffering people
- Geneva ConventionsWartime humanitarian treaties
- human rightsInalienable personal freedoms
- international lawRules governing relations between countries
- corridorsEnclosed building passages
shields · evacuation · shelter · sanctuary · asylum · neutrality · immunity · safeguarding
Without means to resist
- helplessUnable to act independently
- victimsThose who suffer harm
- endangeredAt risk of extinction
- at-riskSubject to potential harm
unprotected · exposed · fragile · susceptible · targeted · threatened · collateral damage · casualties
News gatherers and writers
- correspondentsThose who exchange messages
- medicsEmergency treatment personnel
- nursesMedical care professionals
- doctorsLicensed medical practitioners
chaplains · diplomats · negotiators · observers · inspectors · translators · drivers · cooks
bystanders
People present but uninvolved
- populationAll inhabitants combined
- residentsPeople living somewhere
- citizensMembers of a nation
inhabitants · locals · refugees · evacuees · displaced persons · expatriates · immigrants · settlers · community · public
humanitarian
Helper of suffering people
- Geneva ConventionsWartime humanitarian treaties
- human rightsInalienable personal freedoms
- international lawRules governing relations between countries
corridors · shields · evacuation · shelter · sanctuary · asylum · neutrality · immunity · safeguarding · Red Cross
defenseless
Without means to resist
- helplessUnable to act independently
- victimsThose who suffer harm
- endangeredAt risk of extinction
at-risk · unprotected · exposed · fragile · susceptible · targeted · threatened · collateral damage · casualties · imperiled
journalists
News gatherers and writers
- correspondentsThose who exchange messages
- medicsEmergency treatment personnel
- nursesMedical care professionals
doctors · chaplains · diplomats · negotiators · observers · inspectors · translators · drivers · cooks · contractors
- wartime protectioncivilians, safety zones, humanitarian corridors, safe havens, evacuation routes
- war reliefwar relief, relief funds, relief efforts, relief agencies, relief workers
- chaplainschaplains, military chaplain, army chaplain, chaplaincy, field chaplain
- maritime lawmaritime piracy, admiralty, law of the sea, salvage rights, towage
- war lawGeneva Conventions, laws of war, Hague Conventions, humanitarian law, military protocol
non-combatantscombatants
Those engaged in warfare
soldiers · fighters · warriors · troops · military personnel