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
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.
Pakistan says it is targeting extremists who have carried out cross-border attacks, but authorities in Kabul deny harbouring militants.
From Barron's
Rwanda, which possesses one of the most effective militaries in Africa, stopped the militants’ advance and stabilized the province.
The military is trying to carve out a buffer zone inside Lebanon deep enough to put border communities beyond the militants’ reach.
The Central Intelligence Agency worked closely with Pakistan’s army and intelligence services in its hunt for the al Qaeda militants responsible for Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, including the group’s leader, bin Laden.
"The laying down of arms by militant actors would represent a decisive break from cycles of violence that have defined life in Gaza for decades," he said.
From BBC
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.
