pugilism

noun

pu·gi·lism ˈpyü-jə-ˌli-zəm

: boxing entry 1

pugilistic

ˌpyü-jə-ˈli-stik

adjective

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The sport of boxing had its Olympic initiation more than 2,500 years ago in the 23rd Olympiad of 688 BCE. The ancient Romans adopted the sport from the Greeks, and we adopted the word pugilism from them: the Latin word pugil means "boxer." (The word is related to the Latin pugnus, meaning "fist.") Boxing faded out with the decline of the Roman Empire, but resurged in popularity in the 18th century. By the century's end, pugilist and pugilism were firmly entrenched in the English lexicon, and pugilism now sees additional use in reference to metaphorical sparring, as in a political debate.

Examples of pugilism in a Sentence

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In contrast to some other contenders known for their political pugilism, Walz appears to get along well with folks on all sides of the aisle and all corners of the country. —

S.e. Cupp, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2024 This breeds a funny mix of pugilism and sanctimony that can be, frankly, a little unlikable. —

Clare Malone, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2024 The ancient art of pugilism has been relatively untouched by time, retaining its raw appeal and primal energy. —

Oleksandr Usyk, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023 The minority didn’t exactly assign its most conciliatory and pugilism-averse members, either. —

Dallas News, 6 Feb. 2023 See all Example Sentences for pugilism