hostility
Americannoun
-
hostilities
plural
noun
-
enmity or antagonism
-
an act expressing enmity or opposition
-
(plural) fighting; warfare
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of hostility
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English hostilite, from Latin hostīlitās, from hostīl(is) ( see hostile) + -itās -ity
Explanation
Hostility is the state of ill will and bad feeling. If a teacher embarrasses you in front of the whole class, you will probably regard him or her with hostility for the remainder of the school year. Hostility can be used to describe aggressive relations between two countries as well as between people. The issue of territorial borders can often cause hostility between neighboring countries. If actual fighting breaks out, use the word hostilities to refer to the violent actions between them. The ordinary citizens of the countries involved will look forward to the end of hostilities when the two governments are able to work together for peace.
Vocabulary lists containing hostility
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 16–19
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Franklin D. Roosevelt, "A Date That Will Live In Infamy" (1941)
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Maus I: My Father Bleeds History
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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.
See Examples For:
She added that there is “no evidence of any animus or hostility in this case.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
"From that moment on, I felt growing hostility from the system," the independent reporter told AFP from an undisclosed location abroad.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
Some of us with siblings were treated with suspicion and hostility.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026
In 2023 Beijing brokered a deal to restore diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia after years of hostility.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Well, that was what owls looked like, and they did stare; but Hester was right, and there was a hostility and suspicion in the dæmon that the man’s face showed nothing of.
From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman
Nonessential foreign service and intelligence personnel across the Middle East were ordered home, while senior officials at the Pentagon debated the strategic objectives renewed hostilities could realistically achieve, two U.S. officials told The Times.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2026
The limited pause in hostilities, which started on Tuesday, was brokered with the help of US First Lady Melania Trump and Pope Leo.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
Iran and the Gulf states caught in the crossfire, meanwhile, are frenziedly stocking up on missiles and interceptors as if anticipating a return to hostilities.
From Slate ● Oct. 30, 2026
Oil prices fell as traders considered diplomatic efforts to ease U.S.-Iran hostilities, while further Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia kept concerns about Middle East supply risks alive.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
In his old age this same total warfare had come back to roost as total hatred, as the most modem of hostilities.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
