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Synonyms

belligerence

American  
[buh-lij-er-uhns] / bəˈlɪdʒ ər əns /

noun

  1. a warlike or aggressively hostile nature, condition, or attitude.

  2. an act of carrying on war; warfare.

belligerence British  
/ bɪˈlɪdʒərəns /

noun

  1. the act or quality of being belligerent or warlike; aggressiveness

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of belligerence

First recorded in 1805–15; belliger(ent) + -ence

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.

The belligerence partially stems from China’s own problems, such as slowing economic growth, a real-estate bubble, flagging domestic consumption and rising unemployment, especially among the young.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 3, 2025

Not a ton, at least as far as new intelligence, input from allies, or Iranian belligerence.

From Slate • Jun. 17, 2025

They have class and power all over their team, they have clever creators, deadly finishers with dynamism and belligerence.

From BBC • Jan. 31, 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

A kind of friendly belligerence came naturally to those two.

From "Ungifted" by Gordon Korman

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.