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

With 38 runs off 33 balls required, Banton played with calculated aggression en route to 54 not out off 33 balls to put England on the brink of victory.

From BBC

“Our brave Armed Forces are prepared—with their fingers on the trigger—to immediately and powerfully respond to ANY aggression against our beloved land, air, and sea,” Araghchi said Wednesday on social media.

From The Wall Street Journal

What worries soccer officials, politicians and diplomats isn’t just ICE’s aggression.

From Los Angeles Times

The speech -- which also cautioned middle powers against hoping "compliance" would spare them from major power aggression -- also earned rare cross‑party praise in Canada.

From Barron's

Iran's foreign ministry warned on Monday of a "comprehensive and regret-inducing response to any aggression".

From Barron's

Related Words

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