militant

Intermediatezipf 3.62

Pronunciation

/ˈmɪlɪtənt/(MIL-ih-tunt)

Part of speech

adjective / nounneutral

Chinese

(adj) 激进的；好斗的 (n) 激进分子

Definition

(adj) Favouring confrontational or violent methods in pursuit of a cause. (n) A person who uses aggressive methods for a political or social cause.

Word family

  • militancy/ˈmɪlɪtənsi/(n)好战性

Collocations

  • militant group
  • militant stance
  • militant activism
  • armed militants
  • militant ideology

Examples

  1. 1.The union adopted a more militant stance after negotiations broke down for the third time. (aggressive, confrontational)
  2. 2.Armed militants seized control of the government buildings in the capital. (armed activists)

Synonyms

  • aggressive/əˈɡrɛsɪv/— ready to attack — broader
  • radical/ˈrædɪkl/— advocating extreme change — not necessarily violent
  • combative/kəmˈbætɪv/— ready to fight

Etymology

from Latin "militans" (serving as a soldier) — "militare" (to serve as a soldier) — "miles" (soldier)