Nonlethal

adj.kind, resilientprofessional

What it means

Intended or expected not to cause death when used within its defined limits.

Reach for it when describing control, deterrence, injury, or force where avoiding death is the specific claim

The reserve replaced poisoned bait with a nonlethal barrier around the crops.

everyday
safe
ordinary reassurance is justified across the relevant hazards
not when Safe is much broader and stronger than merely unlikely to kill.
warm
humane
reducing suffering as well as death is supported by the method
not when A nonlethal technique can still cause severe pain, so humane needs separate evidence.
professional
deterrent
the method prevents approach without physical force
not when A deterrent describes purpose, not whether its actual operation is nonlethal.
professional
less-lethal
risk remains serious and the terminology must not imply guaranteed survival
not when Less-lethal is needlessly alarming for a harmless fence or sound deterrent.
formal
fatality-avoiding
the outcome is stated plainly in a risk analysis
not when This phrase sounds mechanical and does not name other injuries.

nonlethal method
The nonlethal method moved the bears away without trapping them.
nonlethal force
Any use of nonlethal force still required medical review.
nonlethal injury
The climber sustained a nonlethal injury and remained stable overnight.

No device or force option is harmless by label alone; nonlethal describes intended or expected mortality, not the absence of serious injury.

The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.