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.
The agreement requires the Lebanese state to take back control of its territory a little at a time as it disarms and dismantles the militant group.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
Al-Shabab had morphed into a powerful, hardline militant group controlling large swathes of the country outside Mogadishu where it imposed a strict form of Islam, including restrictive dress codes and banning music.
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
Lebanon's embassy in Washington had hours earlier said Hezbollah had accepted a US proposal for a "mutual cessation of attacks", though there has been no official confirmation by the militant group.
From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026
U.S. aid has been a lifeline for communities whose desperation can be exploited by militant recruiters.
From Salon • May 19, 2026
I have always favored a more active, militant style of protest such as work strikes, go-slow strikes, or refusing to clean up; actions that punished the authorities, not ourselves.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
