militancy

noun

mil·​i·​tan·​cy ˈmi-lə-tən(t)-sē 

: the quality or state of being militant

Synonyms

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

Examples of militancy in a Sentence

the militancy of the radical organization gave the authorities cause for concern

Recent Examples on the Web

Sébastien Bourdon, a French journalist with Le Monde’s video investigations unit who authored a forthcoming book on that country’s far-right, says Active Clubs are the fastest-expanding facet of far-right militancy in France. —Ali Winston, WIRED, 13 Dec. 2024

But key architects of the British and American working classes ignored efforts to fuse the labor and abolitionist movements and instead linked labor militancy to white suffering. —Gunther Peck / Made By History, TIME, 12 Dec. 2024

Israel says the authority has not done enough to combat militancy or curb incitement. —Samy Magdy and Josef Federman, Los Angeles Times, 3 Dec. 2024

Israel’s pre-October 7 strategy toward Hamas was based on buying calm by allowing Qatari funds to flow into Gaza in the hopes that this would decrease support for Hamas militancy among the Gazan population. —Matthew Levitt, Foreign Affairs, 10 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1648, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

militancy

noun

mil·​i·​tan·​cy ˈmil-ə-tən-sē 

: the quality or state of being militant