belligerent
Americanadjective
-
warlike; given to waging war.
-
of warlike character; aggressively hostile; bellicose.
a belligerent tone.
- Synonyms:
- contentious, antagonistic, quarrelsome, combative, truculent, pugnacious
-
waging war; engaged in war.
a peace treaty between belligerent powers.
-
pertaining to war or to those engaged in war.
belligerent rights.
noun
-
a state or nation at war.
-
a member of the military forces of such a state.
adjective
-
marked by readiness to fight or argue; aggressive
a belligerent tone
-
relating to or engaged in a legally recognized war or warfare
noun
Other Word Forms
- belligerently adverb
- interbelligerent adjective
- unbelligerent adjective
- unbelligerently adverb
Etymology
Origin of belligerent
First recorded in 1570–80; earlier belligerant, from Latin belligerant-, stem of belligerāns “waging war,” present participle of belligerāre “to wage war,” verb derivative of belliger “warlike,” from belli- (combining form of bellum, earlier duellum “war”; duel ( def. ) ) + ger(ere) “to carry, conduct, display”
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.
Pezeshkian meanwhile said the success of diplomacy depended on the "goodwill of the parties involved and the abandonment of belligerent and threatening actions in the region," his office said.
From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026
The company collects cars around the clock, but the cover of darkness cuts the odds of encountering belligerent owners.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 28, 2025
General Assembly to deliver a belligerent and lengthy speech when the escalator he and the first lady were riding stopped abruptly, forcing them to walk the rest of the way up.
From Salon • Sep. 24, 2025
His tenure has sparked discord in the office, with dozens of prosecutors quitting in the face of his belligerent, scream-first management style.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 29, 2025
Even the lowly weed pullers had boasted a belligerent name: The Mechanized Offensive Brigade.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
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.
