Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Engaged in warfare or conflict: Describes a person, group, or nation actively fighting or engaged in war.
   • Showing a fighting or aggressive disposition: Describes someone who is aggressively active or combative in support of a cause, belief, or policy.
   • Disposed to hard-line or confrontational policies: Characterizes a stance that is uncompromising and favors aggressive action.

2. Noun:

   • A militant person; a fighter or activist: Refers to an individual who is aggressively active in pursuing a political or social cause, often willing to use confrontational or forceful methods.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • The militant group refused to negotiate.
  • She was known for her militant stance on environmental issues.
  • The country adopted a more militant foreign policy.

• Noun:

  • The protest was led by several militants.
  • He was a militant in the struggle for civil rights.

Advanced Usage

• "Militant tendency": A strong inclination toward aggressive or confrontational action within a group or movement.

  • The party's militant tendency gained influence after the election loss.

• "Militant secularism": An aggressive form of secularism that actively opposes religious influence in public affairs.

  • The debate centered on the rise of militant secularism in the country.

Variants and Related Words

• Militancy (n): The state or quality of being militant; aggressive activism.

  • The militance of the movement surprised the authorities.

• Militantly (adv): In a militant manner.

  • She argued militantly for her beliefs.

Synonyms

• Adjective: Combative, aggressive, belligerent, hawkish, warlike, confrontational.
• Noun: Activist, fighter, partisan, zealot.

Antonyms

• Adjective: Peaceful, pacifist, moderate, conciliatory.
• Noun: Pacifist, moderate.

Related Phrases

• Militant reformer: A reformer who advocates for change through aggressive or forceful means.
  • History remembers her as a militant reformer who challenged the status quo.

Adjective

1. engaged in war
   • belligerent (or warring) nations
2. showing a fighting disposition
   • highly competitive sales representative
   • militant in fighting for better wages for workers
   • his self-assertive and ubiquitous energy
3. disposed to warfare or hard-line policies
   • militant nations
   • hawkish congressman
   • warlike policies

Noun

1. a militant reformer