militant
Americanadjective
-
aggressively active or combative in support of a cause.
militant reformers.
- Synonyms:
- contentious, combative, belligerent
-
engaged in warfare; fighting.
noun
-
a militant person.
-
a person engaged in warfare or combat.
adjective
-
aggressive or vigorous, esp in the support of a cause
a militant protest
-
warring; engaged in warfare
noun
noun
-
short for Militant Tendency
-
a member of Militant Tendency
Related Words
See fanatic.
Other Word Forms
- hypermilitant adjective
- hypermilitantly adverb
- militancy noun
- militantly adverb
- militantness noun
- nonmilitant adjective
- nonmilitantly adverb
- supermilitant adjective
- ultramilitant adjective
- unmilitant adjective
- unmilitantly adverb
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”; 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.
Vocabulary lists containing militant
Fighting Words: Belli and Milit
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "M"
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The Autobiography of Malcolm X
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I’m really a very routined person, meaning that I have the same routine almost every day and I’m really militant about policing it.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026
“Energy flows, militant networks, trade routes, and financial pressures all pass through it in different forms,” wrote geopolitical analyst Tanvi Ratna.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026
Though weakened, the militant group has said it is ready for a long confrontation.
From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026
It said it carried out precision strikes that destroyed militant support infrastructure and ammunition storage facilities at two locations.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026
I had to admit that I had never heard atheism of so militant a nature; but the Communist speaker seemed to be amusing and frightening the people more than he was convincing them.
From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright
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.
