militant
[mil-i-tuhnt]
- vigorously active and aggressive, especially in support of a cause: militant reformers.
- engaged in warfare; fighting.
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- a militant person.
- a person engaged in warfare or combat.
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Origin of militant
Synonyms
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
hostility, aggressiveness, enmity, resentment, disaffection, hatred, animosity, pugnacity, antagonism, belligerence, blitz, fight, belligerency, push, destructiveness, detestation, rancor, estrangement, aggression, spiteExamples from the Web for militancy
Contemporary Examples
“Pakistan has to change the narrative about militancy,” said Kakar .
He said he had found it repulsive, because to him it had advocated Islamic militancy.
Slovyansk serves as the main base for the militancy across the region.
Then in 2007 he had joined the pro-Kremlin, pro “Eurasian” youth group, Nashi, to hone his militancy.
Jaber openly denounced the violent Islamist militancy of AQAP, teaching at a government school where he hoped to promote peace.
Historical Examples
It is coloured with all the militancy of the author's temperament.
William ShakespeareJohn Masefield
They may be narrowed by militancy, or they may be widened by industrialism.
Nothing could have been more militant than her denunciation of militancy.
Ramsey MilhollandBooth Tarkington
Militancy was a bad symptom which showed the need of action.
The Annual Register 1914Anonymous
All too soon, it may be, had the boroughs put off their militancy.
Domesday Book and BeyondFrederic William Maitland
militant
- aggressive or vigorous, esp in the support of a causea militant protest
- warring; engaged in warfare
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- a militant person
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Word Origin
C15: from Latin mīlitāre to be a soldier, from mīles soldier
Militant
- short for Militant Tendency
- a member of Militant Tendency
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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
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.
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militant
n.
"one engaged in war or strife," c.1600, from militant (adj.); in a political sense, it is attested by 1907.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper