militant
adjective
mil·i·tant
ˈmi-lə-tənt 
1
: engaged in warfare or combat : fighting
2
: aggressively active (as in a cause) : combative
militant conservationists
a militant attitude
militant
noun
militantly
adverb
militantness
noun
Examples of militant in a Sentence
an angry and militant speech
political radicals with a militant unwillingness to compromise on any issue
Recent Examples on the Web
Israel declared war on Hamas after the militant group's soldiers launched a surprise attack on the Jewish state, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages.
—
Lily Kepner, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
Trump has been uniquely willing to break with Israel on many issues—for instance, by making deals with the Houthi militant group in Yemen and opening a diplomatic dialogue with Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Shara, despite his past alignment with al-Qaeda.
—Zaha Hassan, Foreign Affairs, 29 July 2025
The war in the Gaza strip began in October 2023, when the Palestinian militant group Hamas led an attack on Israel, killing more than 1,200 and taking 251 hostages.
—Kathryn Kovalenko, Twin Cities, 28 July 2025
The Palestinian militant group has refused to release remaining hostages, complicating negotiations.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for militant
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.
Lily Kepner, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
Trump has been uniquely willing to break with Israel on many issues—for instance, by making deals with the Houthi militant group in Yemen and opening a diplomatic dialogue with Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Shara, despite his past alignment with al-Qaeda.
—Zaha Hassan, Foreign Affairs, 29 July 2025
The war in the Gaza strip began in October 2023, when the Palestinian militant group Hamas led an attack on Israel, killing more than 1,200 and taking 251 hostages.
—Kathryn Kovalenko, Twin Cities, 28 July 2025
The Palestinian militant group has refused to release remaining hostages, complicating negotiations.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for militant
Cite this Entry
“Militant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/militant. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
militant
adjective
mil·i·tant
ˈmil-ə-tənt
1
: being at war
2
: aggressively active especially in a cause
militant protesters
militant
noun
militantly
adverb
militantness
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share