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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective militant contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of militant are aggressive, assertive, and self-assertive. While all these words mean "obtrusively energetic especially in pursuing particular goals," militant also implies a fighting disposition but suggests not self-seeking but devotion to a cause, movement, or principle.

militant protesters rallied against the new law

When would aggressive be a good substitute for militant?

The synonyms aggressive and militant are sometimes interchangeable, but aggressive implies a disposition to dominate often in disregard of others' rights or in determined and energetic pursuit of one's ends.

aggressive in his business dealings

In what contexts can assertive take the place of militant?

In some situations, the words assertive and militant are roughly equivalent. However, assertive suggests bold self-confidence in expression of opinion.

the more assertive speakers dominated the forum

When is it sensible to use self-assertive instead of militant?

The words self-assertive and militant can be used in similar contexts, but self-assertive connotes forwardness or brash self-confidence.

a self-assertive young upstart

Examples of militant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The big picture: Israel is fighting on two fronts, against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, while engaging in an escalating tit-for-tat with Iran, a key patron of both militant groups. Barak Ravid, Axios, 7 Oct. 2024 War rages on Monday marked the first anniversary of the Hamas terror attacks, and a year since Israel began its war against the militant group in Gaza. Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 7 Oct. 2024 Since then, Israel’s military response has killed at least 41,000 Gazans, most of them women and children, and Israel has also been engaged in escalating clashes over the past year with Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group backed by Iran. Monica Potts, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2024 Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group, which has been firing rockets into Israel for the last year in support of ally Hamas, launched more than 170 across the border on Monday. Melanie Lidman and Tia Goldenberg, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for militant 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'militant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near militant

Cite this Entry

“Militant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/militant. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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