belligerence

noun

bel·​lig·​er·​ence bə-ˈlij--ˈli-jə-rən(t)s 

-ˈlij-

: an aggressive or truculent attitude, atmosphere, or disposition

Did you know?

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

• aggression
• aggressiveness
• assaultiveness
• bellicosity
• belligerency
• combativeness
• contentiousness
• defiance
• disputatiousness
• feistiness
• fight
• militance
• militancy
• militantness
• pugnacity
• quarrelsomeness
• scrappiness
• truculence

Examples of belligerence in a Sentence

the dominant male wolf was able to withstand the belligerence of younger challengers

Recent Examples on the Web

It is founded on reasoned judgment rather than emotional belligerence. —Michael S. Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 6 Oct. 2024

Beijing, meanwhile, has averted its gaze from Moscow’s belligerence in Africa while fostering new dependencies and saddling more countries with unsustainable debt. —Antony J. Blinken, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2024

This segment of What’s Ahead examines the ominous implications of China’s increasing belligerence. —Steve Forbes, Forbes, 10 Sep. 2024

More hatred never overcomes hatred; more revenge never satisfies the ache of loss; more belligerence never calms belligerence. —Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see belligerent

First Known Use

1814, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

belligerence

noun

bel·​lig·​er·​ence bə-ˈlij(-ə)-rən(t)s 

: a belligerent attitude or disposition