belligerence

noun

bel·lig·er·ence bə-ˈlij--ˈli-jə-rən(t)s

-ˈlij-

Synonyms of belligerence next

: an aggressive or truculent attitude, atmosphere, or disposition

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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.

Examples of belligerence in a Sentence

the dominant male wolf was able to withstand the belligerence of younger challengers

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

In the last decade, North Korean belligerence has spurred the creation of an innovative defense industrial base in South Korea, which now exports to clients globally. —

Ariel Cohen, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024 Leaders in Europe have repeatedly warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin's aggression would not just stop at Ukraine, as maps by Newsweek show potential flashpoints if Moscow were to take its belligerence further on the continent. —

Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024 Homan displays the sort of belligerence that attracts Trump, but a big question is how far the border czar will go to carry out his mandate. —

Chloe Berger, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2024 Australia’s defense spending exceeds the two-percent threshold and the country has big increases planned for the future, but defense experts in Australia have warned that these increases are all scheduled several years from now, which may be too late to deter Chinese belligerence in the near term. —

Michael Green, Foreign Affairs, 19 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for belligerence