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 ) ( 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

The American Civil War was sometimes referred in the South as the War Between the States, and, later, the War of Northern Aggression.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2025

Such is the topic of a new paper in the Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma by a team of researchers led by Concordia's Walter Marcantoni.

From Science Daily • Nov. 14, 2024

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series: "Abbott Elementary" — "Party" "The Bear" — "Fishes" "The Bear" — "Honeydew" "The Gentlemen" — "Refined Aggression" "Hacks" — "Bulletproof" "The Ms. Pat Show" — "I’m the Pappy"

From Salon • Sep. 15, 2024

Aggression, enmity and maybe even predation are often the dominant themes in a cop show, but here it is wariness.

From New York Times • Feb. 8, 2024

There is also a rifle near the bottom that’s seen better days, a relic from the War of Northern Aggression and damn near useless.

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland

Related Words

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