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belligerent
adjective
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Belligerent, Belligerents, and Belligerence
Belligerent may function as either an adjective or a noun. As an adjective, it has two primary meanings, each of which corresponds to the two senses of its noun form.
The older sense (“waging war”) is generally used to refer to the actions or combatants of a nation at war, or to the nation itself ("belligerent operations"; "belligerent troops"; “the belligerent state”); it is paralleled by the earliest sense of the noun, “a nation at war” (“the belligerents assembled at the peace conference”). The second sense of belligerent (“inclined to or exhibiting assertiveness, hostility, or combativeness”), which usually applies to persons or animals, or to their attitudes or actions, likewise parallels the second sense of the noun (“a person taking part in a fight”). A related noun belligerence refers to “an aggressive or truculent attitude, atmosphere, or disposition” that can be either individual or global.
Synonyms
belligerent, bellicose, pugnacious, quarrelsome, contentious mean having an aggressive or fighting attitude.
belligerent often implies being actually at war or engaged in hostilities.
bellicose suggests a disposition to fight.
pugnacious suggests a disposition that takes pleasure in personal combat.
quarrelsome stresses an ill-natured readiness to fight without good cause.
contentious implies perverse and irritating fondness for arguing and quarreling.
Examples of belligerent in a Sentence
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'belligerent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
modification of Latin belligerant-, belligerans, present participle of belligerare to wage war, from belliger waging war, from bellum war + gerere to wage
1577, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Dictionary Entries Near belligerent
Cite this Entry
“Belligerent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/belligerent. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
Kids Definition
belligerent
adjectiveLegal Definition
belligerent
1 of 2 adjectivebelligerent
2 of 2 nounMore from Merriam-Webster on belligerent
Nglish: Translation of belligerent for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of belligerent for Arabic Speakers
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