Word of the Day Archive
Monday August 6, 2001
militate \MIL-ih-tayt\ , intransitive verb:
To have force or influence.
In our current era of politics, many factors militate against changes in policies.
-- Reed Hundt, You Say You Want a Revolution
Even though Simpson's youth, limited professional experience, lack of reputation, unmarried status, and modest social origins all militated against success, the twenty-eight-year-old Simpson applied for the post.
-- Donald Caton, What a Blessing She Had Chloroform
By 2003 many of the uncertainties which militate against a "yes" might be resolved.
-- Anatole Kaletsky, "Why Brown is right to put off the euro test", Times (London), June 21, 2001
Militate comes from Latin militatus, past participle of militare, "to serve as a soldier," from miles, milit-, "a soldier."
Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation for militate
