militant

adjective

mil·​i·​tant ˈmi-lə-tənt How to pronounce militant (audio)
Synonyms of militantnext
1
: engaged in warfare or combat : fighting
2
: aggressively active (as in a cause) : combative
militant conservationists
a militant attitude
militant noun
militantly adverb
militantness noun

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
Choose the Right Synonym for militant

aggressive, militant, assertive, self-assertive mean obtrusively energetic especially in pursuing particular goals.

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

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

assertive suggests bold self-confidence in expression of opinion.

the more assertive speakers dominated the forum

self-assertive connotes forwardness or brash self-confidence.

a self-assertive young upstart

Examples of militant in a Sentence

an angry and militant speech political radicals with a militant unwillingness to compromise on any issue
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Israel launched its military assault on Gaza after the militant group Hamas killed at least 1,200 people in Israel and abducted more than 250 others on October 7, 2023. — Don Riddell, CNN, 19 Mar. 2025 Why did the ceasefire break down? Both Israel and the Trump administration have blamed Hamas for the resumption of hostilities, citing the militant group's refusal to meet Israel's demand to release more hostages in return for the resumption of talks. — Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 19 Mar. 2025 This follows a brief exchange between the U.S. and Hamas, in unprecedented direct negotiations over the release of hostages captured by the militant group during its October 7, 2023 attack. — Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025 The new plan would require Hamas to release half its remaining hostages — the militant group’s main bargaining chip — in exchange for a ceasefire extension and a promise to negotiate a lasting truce. — TIME, 18 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for militant

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of militant was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

militant
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Militant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/militant. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

militant

adjective
mil·​i·​tant ˈmil-ə-tənt How to pronounce militant (audio)
1
: being at war
2
: aggressively active especially in a cause
militant protesters
militant noun
militantly adverb
militantness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on militant

Nglish: Translation of militant for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All