aggression

American  

[uh-gresh-uhn] / əˈgrɛʃ ən /

noun

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

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

Etymology

Origin of aggression

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

Example Sentences

Science backs this up, with studies spanning more than a decade consistently showing that anonymity breeds aggression.

From The Wall Street Journal

Speaking after taking her oath, Rodriguez told the National Assembly she did so "with pain" because of the suffering caused by "illegitimate military aggression".

From BBC

Colombia's ambassador Leonor Zalabata Torres said there is no justification for the unilateral use of force to commit an act of aggression: "Such actions constitute a serious violation of international law and the UN Charter."

From BBC

He and other resistance volunteers fabricated fake ID cards and sent letters to Germans urging them to oppose Nazi aggression.

From The Wall Street Journal

Since 1945, historians have debated to what extent Naruhito's late grandfather Hirohito was responsible for Imperial Japan's war of aggression in Asia.

From Barron's

Related Words

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