belligerence
Americannoun
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a warlike or aggressively hostile nature, condition, or attitude.
-
an act of carrying on war; warfare.
noun
Etymology
Origin of belligerence
First recorded in 1805–15; belliger(ent) + -ence
Explanation
Belligerence is a natural disposition to be hostile or aggressive, or a warlike attitude. The belligerence of Roman gladiators made them excel in battle and instilled fear in their opponents. Belligerence in people is characterized by a tendency to pick fights or be aggressive toward others. It can be something in your nature, if you're, say, a bully, or it can be an attitude you summon in the heat of battle, as when you're going up against a rival sports team. One thing's for sure, though, there is nothing peaceful about belligerence, which, when displayed by armies or countries, can lead to devastating wars.
Vocabulary lists containing belligerence
Lord of the Flies
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Fighting Words: Belli and Milit
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Ungifted
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Under international law, none of these three steps would constitute escalated belligerence.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025
As things heat up, a few have taken the belligerence offline too.
From BBC • Jul. 25, 2025
Not a ton, at least as far as new intelligence, input from allies, or Iranian belligerence.
From Slate • Jun. 17, 2025
He finally regressed to his usual juvenile belligerence and insulted Micklethwait and the friendly Wall St. Journal, saying they don't know what they're talking about.
From Salon • Oct. 16, 2024
His eyes fell on the groups of other officers gazing at him in mute appeal, and, with righteous belligerence, he roared: “Give everybody eat!”
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
