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• militant
  militant

  adjective

  aggressively active or combative in support of a cause.
• Militant
  Militant

  noun

  short for Militant Tendency

militant

American  

[mil-i-tuhnt] / ˈmɪl ɪ tənt /

adjective

1. aggressively active or combative in support of a cause.

   militant reformers.

   Synonyms:

   contentious, combative, belligerent

2. engaged in warfare; fighting.

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noun

• militants
  plural

1. a militant person.

2. a person engaged in warfare or combat.

militant ¹ British  

/ ˈmɪlɪtənt /

adjective

1. aggressive or vigorous, esp in the support of a cause

   a militant protest

2. warring; engaged in warfare

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noun

1. a militant person

Militant ² British  

/ ˈmɪlɪtənt /

noun

1. short for Militant Tendency

2. a member of Militant Tendency

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Synonym Usage

See fanatic.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• militancy
  noun
• militantness
  noun
• hypermilitant
  adjective
• nonmilitant
  adjective
• supermilitant
  adjective
• ultramilitant
  adjective
• unmilitant
  adjective
• hypermilitantly
  adverb
• militantly
  adverb
• nonmilitantly
  adverb
• unmilitantly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• militants
  plural

Etymology

Origin of militant

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

Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

militant Militant militants

Islamist militant groups operating from neighbouring Nigeria, Mali and Burkina Faso have plagued Niger for years, targeting both civilians and the military.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

But that was at odds with the militant group’s understanding of the sequencing and added to the stress on the deal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

Pakistan has previously blamed the violence in border provinces on militant activity emanating from Afghanistan.

From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026

Other uses included using AI to study battlefield tactics that could lead to reduced casualties, an ex-ISWAP militant said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026

In what ways would the Milagro people, downstate militant Chicano groups, or even out-of-state political groups pick up on his death?

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols

The mistreatment could lead to their radicalization by fueling hatred for Pakistan, said Zahid Hussain, an analyst of militancy and author of several books, including “Frontline Pakistan: The Struggle with Militant Islam.”

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 9, 2023

Militant environmentalism is more of a hook than a subject about which the film has a point of view.

From New York Times ● Apr. 6, 2023

This led to a rebellion against House Targaryen by the military arm of the Faith of the Seven, the Faith Militant, joined by some rebel Houses.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2022

But to his interviewer, Church Militant founder and president Michael Voris, he was a "saint in the making."

From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2022

Until later, Gary, Your Militant Working Boy V Dr. Talc lit a Benson & Hedges, looking out of the window of his office in the Social Studies Building.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

American officials had doubts about the alleged scheme, as there was no evidence the militants had the required missile or firing system in Ankara, people familiar with the intelligence said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

Turkish lawmakers on Monday voted through a bill offering limited amnesty for Kurdish PKK militants, a key step in the peace process that seeks to end decades of deadly violence.

From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026

That changed in early July, when the militants tried to test the Saudi air blockade with a direct flight from Tehran that landed in the rebel-controlled capital, San’a.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

In addition to the new division, three new army headquarters will be set up in north-east and central Nigeria - areas plagued by Islamist militants, banditry and clashes between farmers and herders.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

Although Oliver’s speech had been discussed and approved by the NEC, his proposal was met with indignation by ANC militants, who insisted that sanctions must be maintained unchanged.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Related Words

• assertive
• bellicose
• belligerent
• militaristic
• vigorous
• warring