belligerent
adjective
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Belligerent, Belligerents, and Belligerence
Belligerent may function as either an adjective or a noun. As an adjective, it has two primary meanings, each of which corresponds to the two senses of its noun form.
The older sense (“waging war”) is generally used to refer to the actions or combatants of a nation at war, or to the nation itself ("belligerent operations"; "belligerent troops"; “the belligerent state”); it is paralleled by the earliest sense of the noun, “a nation at war” (“the belligerents assembled at the peace conference”). The second sense of belligerent (“inclined to or exhibiting assertiveness, hostility, or combativeness”), which usually applies to persons or animals, or to their attitudes or actions, likewise parallels the second sense of the noun (“a person taking part in a fight”). A related noun belligerence refers to “an aggressive or truculent attitude, atmosphere, or disposition” that can be either individual or global.
Synonyms
Examples of belligerent in a Sentence
Christopher Hitchens, New York Times Book Review, 8 Oct. 2000
Coots are belligerent, territorial, quick-tempered birds. Nothing irritates a coot like another coot …
—Kenneth Brower, Smithsonian, December 1998
Instead, we revered the guys on the streets, the thugs who were brazen and belligerent. They wore their hats backwards, left their belt buckles unfastened and shoelaces untied.
—Nathan McCall, Washington Post, 25-31 Mar. 1991
She was a brigantine, a small two-masted vessel, refitted for belligerent action in the newly created American Navy.
—Barbara W. Tuchman, The First Salute, 1988
He was drunk and belligerent.
the player became quite belligerent and was thrown out of the game
Andrew O’Hagan, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
An investigation revealed that a patron acted belligerent inside the restaurant, was asked to leave and became combative with staff, punching and biting an employee.
—Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for belligerent 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'belligerent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
modification of Latin belligerant-, belligerans, present participle of belligerare to wage war, from belliger waging war, from bellum war + gerere to wage
1577, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Dictionary Entries Near belligerent
Cite this Entry
“Belligerent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/belligerent. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
belligerent
adjective
Legal Definition
belligerent
1 of 2 adjective
belligerent
2 of 2 noun
More from Merriam-Webster on belligerent
Nglish: Translation of belligerent for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of belligerent for Arabic Speakers
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