belligerent
Americanadjective
-
warlike; given to waging war.
-
of warlike character; aggressively hostile; bellicose.
a belligerent tone.
- Synonyms:
- contentious, antagonistic, quarrelsome, combative, truculent, pugnacious
-
waging war; engaged in war.
a peace treaty between belligerent powers.
-
pertaining to war or to those engaged in war.
belligerent rights.
noun
-
belligerents
plural
-
a state or nation at war.
-
a member of the military forces of such a state.
adjective
-
marked by readiness to fight or argue; aggressive
a belligerent tone
-
relating to or engaged in a legally recognized war or warfare
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of belligerent
First recorded in 1570–80; earlier belligerant, from Latin belligerant-, stem of belligerāns “waging war,” present participle of belligerāre “to wage war,” verb derivative of belliger “warlike,” from belli- (combining form of bellum, earlier duellum “war”; cf. duel ( def. )) + ger(ere) “to carry, conduct, display”
Explanation
If someone is belligerent, they're eager to fight. It's a good idea to avoid hardcore hockey fans after their team loses — they tend to be belligerent. Belligerent comes from the Latin word bellum, for "war." You can use it to talk about actual wars — the nations taking part in a war are called belligerents — but usually belligerent describes a psychological disposition. If you're running a school for aggressive boys, do plenty of arts and crafts to prevent them from becoming too belligerent. The stress is on the second syllable: bə-LIJ-ə-rənt.
Vocabulary lists containing belligerent
List 3
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ACT Reading Test: Words to Capture Tone, List 1
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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.
See Examples For:
France’s Charles de Gaulle aircraft-carrier battle group has been deployed to the region as part of the French-U.K.-led mission, but French officials say they don’t want belligerent parties, including the U.S., involved in its operations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
"This aspect needs to be managed. If North Korea acts in a provocative and belligerent manner, it could trigger regional conflict, which could run counter to China's interests," Hong said.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
Stories thrive on conflict, which confers an unjust advantage upon the dysfunctional, the belligerent and the wicked.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
The scientists watching this schism aren’t sure why things became so belligerent.
From Salon ● Apr. 23, 2026
In 1946 we lived in a camp outside of Manila, which came in constant contact with belligerent soldiers called “Huks.”
From This Side of Wild by Gary Paulsen
It has also co-opted the economy, so that Sudan’s many riches bankroll the belligerents even as most Sudanese are impoverished.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 31, 2026
"I expressed my hope that the ceasefire will be fully respected by each of the belligerents, across all areas of confrontation, including in Lebanon," Macron wrote on X after speaking with both leaders.
From Barron's ● Apr. 9, 2026
Perhaps the belligerents realized that attacking this critical infrastructure threatened to create a catastrophic humanitarian disaster.
From Salon ● Mar. 17, 2026
International law requires belligerents in a war to assist sailors wounded or shipwrecked in battle.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 10, 2026
The facts were clear to all belligerents: the final conquest would come from the sky.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
