aggressively active or combative in support of a cause.
militant reformers.
engaged in warfare; fighting.
a militant person.
a person engaged in warfare or combat.
aggressive or vigorous, esp in the support of a cause
a militant protest
warring; engaged in warfare
short for Militant Tendency
a member of Militant Tendency
See fanatic.
First recorded in 1400–1450; late Middle English, from Latin mīlitant- (stem of mīlitāns ), present participle of mīlitāre “to serve as a soldier”; see militate, -ant
A militant is someone who is engaged in a war or who acts aggressively for their cause. If you are militant in your beliefs, you do not question them any more than a soldier questions his orders. In the context of undeclared or guerrilla warfare, enemy fighters are often referred to not as soldiers but as militants, because they are not members of a formal army. As an adjective, militant often has a negative feel — people on one side of a debate will often try to cast those on the other side as militants.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Every so often, a wildcard will slip through the cracks, but that’s become increasingly uncommon, especially in an era where fans are militant in their reluctance to let any unsavory portraits slide.
From Salon • Jul. 8, 2026
The supermarket worker, from Great Notley in Essex, was described in court as a "militant accelerationist" who had been radicalised online from the age of 14.
From BBC • Jul. 8, 2026
Lebanon’s battered Shiite community is taking stock of the destruction wrought by yet another confrontation between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 22, 2026
In addition to being a Shiite militant movement, Hezbollah is also a political party in Lebanon with seats in the country’s parliament.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
The longer their demands were ignored, the more militant their tactics became.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
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.
