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”; see 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.
He became a regular on a training circuit where speakers received lucrative contracts from international governments and law enforcement agencies to teach about the threat of militant Islamist movements.
From Salon • Apr. 22, 2026
Iran warned that continued Israeli attacks targeting the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon could jeopardize the two-day-old truce.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
Australia deployed 39,000 troops to Afghanistan over two decades as part of US and NATO-led operations against the Taliban and other militant groups.
From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026
The reset in relations began early in Trump’s second term after the Pentagon delivered a message to Islamabad: Find and deliver the militant behind the 2021 Kabul airport bombings.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026
And despite Clement’s radical rhetoric and carefully arranged Soul Brother appearance, Riddick had already heard who the real militant in Durham was, and he watched her working her people for a few more seconds.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
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.
