militate

[ mil-i-teyt ]

See synonyms for militate on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object),mil·i·tat·ed, mil·i·tat·ing.

to have a substantial effect; weigh heavily: His prison record militated against him.
Obsolete.
- to be a soldier.
- to fight for a belief.

Origin of militate

First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin mīlitātus (past participle of mīlitāre “to serve as a soldier”), equivalent to mīlit- (stem of mīles ) “soldier” + -ātus verb suffix; see -ate¹

confusables note For militate

See mitigate.

Other words from militate

mil·i·ta·tion, noun

Words that may be confused with militate

militate , mitigate (see confusables note at mitigate)

Words Nearby militate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use militate in a sentence

For generations, liberal Catholics have connected their faith’s moral teachings to an egalitarian philosophy that militates against war, economic inequality, environmental degradation and civil rights violations.
Xavier Becerra is the victim of the right’s distortion of Catholicism | Duncan Hosie | March 19, 2021 | Washington Post
But four overriding realities militate against a GOP return to the White House in 2016 and perhaps for several campaigns beyond.
The GOP Faces Years in the Wilderness After 2012 Election Losses | Robert Shrum | November 26, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
This seems occasionally to militate against the clearness of the work.
The Translations of Beowulf | Chauncey Brewster Tinker
There are primarily three factors that militate against the original custom of maternal descent.
Elements of Folk Psychology | Wilhelm Wundt
Big guns are bad for stream-line, and therefore militate against high submerged speed.
The Story of Our Submarines | John Graham Bower

Passion, in him, comprehended many of the worst emotions which militate against human happiness.
The Caxtons, Complete | Edward Bulwer-Lytton
But first I will examine two cases which might at first sight seem to militate against the principles I have enunciated.
Naval Warfare | James R. Thursfield

British Dictionary definitions for militate

militate

/ (ˈmɪlɪˌteɪt) /

verb

(intr; usually foll by against or for) (of facts, actions, etc) to have influence or effect: the evidence militated against his release

Origin of militate

C17: from Latin mīlitātus, from mīlitāre to be a soldier

militate

See mitigate

Derived forms of militate

militation, noun

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

Browse