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belligerent

 - 4 dictionary results

bel⋅lig⋅er⋅ent

  [buh-lij-er-uhnt]
Use belligerent in a Sentence
–adjective
1. warlike; given to waging war.
2. of warlike character; aggressively hostile; bellicose: a belligerent tone.
3. waging war; engaged in war: a peace treaty between belligerent powers.
4. pertaining to war or to those engaged in war: belligerent rights.
–noun
5. a state or nation at war.
6. a member of the military forces of such a state.
Origin:
1570–80; < L belliger waging war (belli-, comb. form of bellum war + ger-, base of gerere to conduct) + -ent; r. belligerant < L belligerant- (s. of belligerāns, prp. of belligerāre to wage war; see -ant )

Related forms:
bel⋅lig⋅er⋅ent⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
2. pugnacious, truculent, combative, quarrelsome, antagonistic, contentious.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To belligerent
bel·lig·er·ent   (bə-lĭj'ər-ənt)   
adj.  

  1. Inclined or eager to fight; hostile or aggressive.

  2. Of, pertaining to, or engaged in warfare.

n.  One that is hostile or aggressive, especially one that is engaged in war.

[Latin belligerāns, belligerant-, present participle of belligerāre, to wage war, from belliger, warlike : bellum, war + gerere, to make.]
bel·lig'er·ent·ly adv.
Synonyms: These adjectives mean having or showing an eagerness to fight. Belligerent refers to a tendency to hostile behavior: A belligerent reporter badgered the politician.
Bellicose and pugnacious suggest a natural disposition to fight: "All successful newspapers are ceaselessly querulous and bellicose" (H.L. Mencken). A good litigator needs a pugnacious intellect.
Contentious implies chronic argumentativeness: "His style has been described variously as abrasive and contentious, overbearing and pompous" (Victor Merina).
Quarrelsome suggests bad temper and a perverse readiness to bicker: "The men gave him much room, for he was notorious as a quarrelsome person when drunk" (Stephen Crane).
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: bel·lig·er·ent
Pronunciation: b&-'li-j&-r&nt
Function: adjective
1 : waging war : carrying on war; specifically : belonging to or recognized as an organized military power protected by and subject to the laws of war
2 : inclined to or exhibiting hostility or a combative temperament

Main Entry: belligerent
Function: noun
: a belligerent nation, state, or person
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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