aggression

American  

[uh-gresh-uhn] / əˈgrɛʃ ən /

noun

• aggressions
  plural

1. the action of a state in violating by force the rights of another state, particularly its territorial rights; an unprovoked offensive, attack, invasion, or the like.

   The army is prepared to stop any foreign aggression.

   Antonyms:

   peacefulness

2. any offensive action, attack, or procedure; an inroad or encroachment.

   an aggression upon one's rights.

3. the practice of making assaults or attacks; offensive action in general.

4. Psychiatry. overt or suppressed hostility, either innate or resulting from continued frustration and directed outward or against oneself.

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aggression British  

/ əˈɡrɛsə, əˈɡrɛʃən /

noun

1. an attack or harmful action, esp an unprovoked attack by one country against another

2. any offensive activity, practice, etc

   an aggression against personal liberty

3. psychol a hostile or destructive mental attitude or behaviour

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aggression Scientific  

/ ə-grĕsh′ən /

1. Behavior that is meant to intimidate or injure an animal of the same species or of a competing species but is not predatory. Aggression may be displayed during mating rituals or to defend territory, as by the erection of fins by fish and feathers by birds.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• aggressor
  noun
• counteraggression
  noun
• preaggression
  noun
• antiaggression
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• aggressions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of aggression

1605–15; < Latin aggressiōn- (stem of aggressiō ), equivalent to aggress ( us ) ( see aggress) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

Aggression is hostile, purposely unfriendly behavior that can sometimes be violent. A motorist who shows aggression for another may follow too closely, honk the horn, or otherwise try to intimidate. When someone deliberately tries to make another person feel intimidated or threatened, it's an act of aggression. Forceful, unfriendly behavior towards others is one example of aggression, and one country's hostile action toward another is also a kind of aggression. It's been used since the 1600s to mean "an unprovoked attack," from the Latin root word aggressionem, "attack," and in 1912 aggression was first used to mean generally "hostile behavior."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

aggression aggressions

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who came to power last year by promising to stand up to Trump’s economic aggression, has said that Canada could retaliate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

"When you get over the line, that huge relief. Do you go into the summer with the same sort of aggression and mentality?"

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

He develops a reputation for aggression, seemingly fighting a war against everyone on the asphalt that spins out when he attempts to bully a cosmopolitan French driver into submission.

From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026

He needs to be off the meds for at least 72 hours before he can be released, and he also needs to start displaying normal, wild behaviors, including aggression.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026

Instead, the two sides skirmished along the border, as Syngman Rhee and Kim Il-Sung traded insults and accusations of aggression.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

The two nations’ ruling Communist parties have also established ways to tackle issues, such as Chinese aggressions against Vietnamese fishermen in the Paracels, out of the public eye.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2025

Such aggressions forced Pomos to disperse far from the lake, including to the North Bay.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2024

Overall, bonobos engaged in 2.8 times more aggressive interactions and 3 times as many physical aggressions.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 12, 2024

There were and are laws in this country that prohibit such discriminatory, hateful, criminal aggressions — and those who break those laws are subject to judicial punishments.

From Washington Times ● Jun. 12, 2023

In accordance with these sentiments the friends of Bismarck set to work with open aggressions.

From The War Upon Religion Being an Account of the Rise and Progress of Anti-christianism in Europe by Francis A. (Francis Aloysius) Cunningham

Related Words

• assault
• encroachment
• invasion
• offensive
• onslaught
• raid