Definition

1. Noun:
   • A political faction advocating for or supporting military conflict: A group within a political system that actively promotes entering into or continuing a war.
   • A band of warriors engaged in a raid or battle: A group of fighters, often from a tribal society, organized for a specific hostile expedition or combat. This sense is used especially in historical contexts concerning Native Americans.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Political Faction):

  • The hawkish senators formed a powerful war party within the government, pushing for immediate intervention.
  • Historians debate whether a war party in the cabinet influenced the king's decision to declare war.

• Noun (Band of Warriors):

  • A war party of Lakota warriors set out to confront the encroaching settlers.
  • The novel describes a young man's first journey with his tribe's war party.

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used metaphorically to describe any group aggressively pushing for a confrontational course of action, not necessarily literal war.
  • The executives who demanded the hostile takeover were seen as the corporate war party.

Variants and Related Words

• Warrior: (n) A person engaged or experienced in warfare.
• Warpath: (n) Used in phrases like "on the warpath," meaning ready for conflict or angrily seeking confrontation. This term is also closely associated with historical descriptions of Native American groups.

Synonyms

• Hawks (for the political sense): Advocates of a militant or aggressive policy.
• War band: A group of warriors fighting together.
• Raiding party: A group organized for a surprise attack.

Related Idioms

• To be on the warpath: To be very angry and looking for a confrontation.
  • After the budget was cut, the department head was on the warpath.
• To beat the drums of war: To agitate for war, often used in a political context similar to a .
  • Some commentators were accused of beating the drums of war rather than seeking diplomatic solutions.

Noun

1. a political party that supports a war
2. a band of warriors who raid or fight an enemy (used especially of Native Americans)