Militant — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈmi-lə-tənt/ mil·i·tant

Meaning & Definition of Militant

Militant (adjective)

  1. engaged in warfare or combat, fighting
  2. aggressively active (as in a cause), combative

Militant (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. feeling or displaying eagerness to fight

    "political radicals with a militant unwillingness to compromise on any issue"

    similar: aggressive, agonistic, argumentative, assaultive, bellicose, belligerent, brawly, chippy, combative, confrontational, contentious, discordant, disputatious, feisty, gladiatorial, pugnacious, quarrelsome, scrappy, truculent, warlike, on the warpath
    related: antagonistic, fierce, hostile, hot-tempered, acidic, bearish, bilious, bristly, choleric, crabby, cranky, cross, disagreeable, dyspeptic, fractious, fretful, grouchy, grumpy, huffy, ill-humored, ill-natured, ill-tempered, irascible, irritable, ornery, peevish, pettish, petulant, prickly, querulous, rude, snappish, snappy, stroppy (British), surly, testy, touchy, ugly, waspish, savage, vicious, battling, fighting, warring
    opposite: nonaggressive, nonbelligerent, pacific, peaceable, peaceful, unbelligerent, uncombative, uncontentious
    near: anti-imperialist, antimilitarist, unwarlike, affable, amiable, amicable, benevolent, complaisant, conciliatory, cordial, easygoing, friendly, genial, good-natured, good-tempered, gracious, ingratiating, kindhearted, obliging, pleasant, sociable, calm, quiet, relaxed, serene, tranquil, benign, gentle, kindly, mild

  2. having or showing a bold forcefulness in the pursuit of a goal

    "militant protestors refusing to disperse"

    similar: aggressive, ambitious, assertive, enterprising, fierce, go-getting, high-pressure, in-your-face, pushy, self-asserting, self-assertive
    related: argumentative, bellicose, belligerent, combative, contentious, discordant, disputatious, gladiatorial, pugnacious, quarrelsome, trigger-happy, truculent, warlike, hyperaggressive, overambitious, dynamic, energetic, gung ho, hustling, strenuous, vigorous, emphatic, obtrusive, adventuresome, adventurous, daring, dashing, emboldened, gutsy, venturesome, venturous, audacious, bold, brash, brassy, bumptious, cheeky, cocksure, cocky, confident, determined, forward, impudent, insolent, overconfident, presumptuous, unapologetic, unsubdued, unyielding, bare-knuckle, feisty, scrappy, dominating, domineering, imperious, lordly, magisterial, overbearing
    opposite: ambitionless, low-pressure, nonassertive, unaggressive, unambitious, unassertive, unenterprising
    near: easygoing, laid-back, relaxed, acquiescent, amenable, compliant, deferential, docile, resigned, submissive, tractable, yielding, cowering, cringing, groveling, shrinking, bashful, demure, diffident, humble, lowly, meek, mild, modest, mousy, overmodest, passive, quiet, reserved, retiring, shy, subdued, timid, unobtrusive, obsequious, servile, slavish, subservient

Militant (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. one who is intensely or excessively devoted to a cause

    "militants within the movement insisted that there could be no compromise on the issue"

    similar: crusader, fanatic, ideologue, partisan, red hot, true believer, zealot
    related: activist, dreamer, idealist, visionary, cultist, disciple, follower, hanger-on, idolizer, votary, addict, aficionado, buff, bug, devotee, enthusiast, fan, fancier, fiend, fool, freak, habitué, head, hound, junkie, lover, maniac, maven, nut, sucker, advocate, apostle, backer, champion, evangelist, patron, promoter, stalwart, supporter, booster, rooter, well-wisher, faddist
    opposite: nonmilitant
    near: dabbler, dilettante

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Militant

The most common words with a similar meaning to Militant:

aggressive, agonistic, argumentative, assaultive, bellicose, belligerent, brawly, chippy, combative, confrontational, contentious, discordant, disputatious, feisty, gladiatorial, pugnacious, quarrelsome, scrappy, truculent, warlike, ambitious, assertive, enterprising, fierce, go-getting, high-pressure, in-your-face, pushy, self-asserting, self-assertive, on the warpath, crusader, fanatic, ideologue, partisan, red hot, true believer, zealot

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Militant

Words with the opposite meaning of Militant:

nonaggressive, nonbelligerent, pacific, peaceable, peaceful, unbelligerent, uncombative, uncontentious, ambitionless, low-pressure, nonassertive, unaggressive, unambitious, unassertive, unenterprising, nonmilitant

Related Words for Militant

antagonistic, hostile, hot-tempered, acidic, bearish, bilious, bristly, choleric, crabby, cranky, cross, disagreeable, dyspeptic, fractious, fretful, grouchy, grumpy, huffy, ill-humored, ill-natured, ill-tempered, irascible, irritable, ornery, peevish, pettish, petulant, prickly, querulous, rude

Near Antonyms of Militant

anti-imperialist, antimilitarist, unwarlike, affable, amiable, amicable, benevolent, complaisant, conciliatory, cordial, easygoing, friendly, genial, good-natured, good-tempered, gracious, ingratiating, kindhearted, obliging, pleasant, sociable, calm, quiet, relaxed, serene, tranquil, benign, gentle, kindly, mild

Word Forms of Militant

Derived words: militant (noun), militantly (adverb), militantness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Militant

First known use: 15th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Militant

Frequently Asked Questions about Militant

What does "Militant" mean?

"Militant" means engaged in warfare or combat, fighting. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: engaged in warfare or combat, fighting. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Militant"?

Other words for "Militant" include aggressive, agonistic, argumentative, assaultive, bellicose, belligerent, brawly and chippy. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Militant" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Militant"?

There are 168 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Militant". Common alternatives include aggressive, agonistic, argumentative, assaultive, bellicose, belligerent, brawly, chippy, combative and confrontational.

What is the opposite of "Militant"?

Antonyms of "Militant" include nonaggressive, nonbelligerent, pacific, peaceable, peaceful, unbelligerent, uncombative and uncontentious. Near antonyms include anti-imperialist, antimilitarist, unwarlike and affable.

How do you use "Militant" in a sentence?

Examples of "Militant" in a sentence: "political radicals with a militant unwillingness to compromise on any issue"; "militant protestors refusing to disperse"; "militants within the movement insisted that there could be no compromise on the issue".

Is "Militant" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Militant" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Militant" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Militant" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Militant"?

"Militant" is pronounced /ˈmi-lə-tənt/ and divided into syllables as mil·i·tant.