belligerent
/bəˈlɪdʒərənt/
adjective
Origin
Latin
belligerans — waging war
Overview
Meaning Now
- Hostile and aggressive; inclined to fight or engage in conflict.
- Engaged in a war or conflict, as recognized by international law (often used as a noun).
Literal older meaning
waging war
Language path
Latin → English
Earliest form
belligerant
Earliest period
16th century
Journey
The term originates from the Latin 'bellum' (war) and 'gerere' (to carry/wage). In international law, a 'belligerent' is specifically a party (state or movement) recognized as being in a state of declared war.
Evolution
- Latin
bellum
“war”
- Latin
gerere
“to carry, to wage”
- Latin
belligerare
“to wage war”
- English, 16th century
belligerent
“engaged in war”
Adopted into English from Latin forms.
Connections
Word parts
belli-
root
war
-ger-
root
carry/wage
-ent
suffix
forming an adjective
Related across languages
French
belligérant
belligerent
Spanish
beligerante
belligerent
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.