militant

[ mil-i-tuhnt ]

/ ˈmɪl ɪ tənt /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR militant ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

vigorously active and aggressive, especially in support of a cause: militant reformers.

engaged in warfare; fighting.

noun

a militant person.

a person engaged in warfare or combat.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

milicent, milieu, milieu therapy, milit., militancy, militant, militant tendency, militantly, militaria, militarism, militarist

Origin of militant

1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin mīlitant- (stem of mīlitāns), present participle of mīlitāre to serve as a soldier. See militate, -ant

SYNONYMS FOR militant

1 belligerent, combative, contentious. See fanatic.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR militant ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

mil·i·tan·cy, mil·i·tant·ness, nounmil·i·tant·ly, adverbhy·per·mil·i·tant, adjectivehy·per·mil·i·tant·ly, adverb

non·mil·i·tan·cy, nounnon·mil·i·tant, adjective, nounnon·mil·i·tant·ly, adverbsu·per·mil·i·tant, adjectiveul·tra·mil·i·tant, adjectiveun·mil·i·tant, adjectiveun·mil·i·tant·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for militancy

“Pakistan has to change the narrative about militancy,” said Kakar .
Pakistani School Killers Want to Strike the U.S.|Sami Yousafzai, Christopher Dickey|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He said he had found it repulsive, because to him it had advocated Islamic militancy.
Religion, Race, and a Broadway Hit: The Making of ‘Disgraced’|Tim Teeman|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Slovyansk serves as the main base for the militancy across the region.
Kiev Is Blowing Its Chance to Take Back East Ukraine|Jamie Dettmer|May 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Then in 2007 he had joined the pro-Kremlin, pro “Eurasian” youth group, Nashi, to hone his militancy.
Putin’s Men in Ukraine: We’re Not Giving In|Anna Nemtsova|April 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Jaber openly denounced the violent Islamist militancy of AQAP, teaching at a government school where he hoped to promote peace.
Six Key Parts of a New Report That May Change Your View on Drones|Abby Haglage|October 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
This pledge was later repudiated, and in the early winter months of 1914 militancy appeared in Ulster.
My Own Story|Emmeline Pankhurst
No, even from the point of view of public policy, militancy affecting the security of human life would be out of place.
My Own Story|Emmeline Pankhurst
The Spatts had developed into supporters of militancy in a very curious way.
The Lion's Share|E. Arnold Bennett
Can't quite make up my mind about militancy, one way or the other.
Mrs. Warren's Daughter|Sir Harry Johnston
Reason for operation: Rediscovery & Re-education—after two years on the planet—failed to detect signs of militancy.
Operation Haystack|Frank Patrick Herbert

British Dictionary definitions for militancy (1 of 2)

militant

/ (ˈmɪlɪtənt) /

adjective

aggressive or vigorous, esp in the support of a causea militant protest

warring; engaged in warfare

noun

a militant person

Derived Formsmilitancy or rare militantness, nounmilitantly, adverb

Word Origin for militant

C15: from Latin mīlitāre to be a soldier, from mīles soldier

British Dictionary definitions for militancy (2 of 2)

Militant

/ (ˈmɪlɪtənt) /

noun

short for Militant Tendency

a member of Militant Tendency

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

Word Origin and History for militancy (1 of 3)

militancy

1640s, from militant + -cy.

Word Origin and History for militancy (1 of 3)

militant

adj.

early 15c., "fighting, engaged in warfare," from Middle French militant "fighting," from Latin militantem (nominative militans), present participle of militare "serve as a soldier" (see militate), originally especially in Church militant. Related: Militantly.

Word Origin and History for militancy (2 of 3)

militant

"one engaged in war or strife," c.1600, from militant (adj.); in a political sense, it is attested by 1907.