militate

verb

mil·​i·​tate ˈmi-lə-ˌtāt 

militated; militating

intransitive verb

: to have weight or effect

his boyish appearance militated against his getting an early promotion

Mitigate vs. Militate: Usage Guide

Mitigate is sometimes used as an intransitive (followed by against) where militate might be expected. Even though Faulkner used it

some intangible and invisible social force that mitigates against him

—William Faulkner

and one critic thinks it should be called an American idiom, it is usually considered a mistake.

Examples of militate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

All of those things militated to blunt and really turn aside the Iranian attack. —CBS News, 11 Aug. 2024

So too in the Exodus story did Moses hit the rock after the Jews militated for water (Exodus 17:1–7). —Rabbi Avi Weiss, Sun Sentinel, 24 June 2024

The plain text, historical context, and unbroken understanding of the HEROES Act still militate directly against President Biden’s action. —Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 28 Feb. 2023

The grown-up will vainly make the case for a three-course meal at that highly rated trailside bistro, while the kid, content to run on Gatorade and Clif bars, will militate for pit stops at playgrounds and amphibian-friendly bogs. —Taras Grescoe, WSJ, 26 Aug. 2021

Word History

Etymology

Latin militatus, past participle of militare to engage in warfare, from milit-, miles

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing militate

• militate against

Kids Definition

militate

verb

mil·​i·​tate ˈmil-ə-ˌtāt 

militated; militating

: to have weight or effect : operate

factors militating against success