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
On Yom Kippur, a militant Islamist called Jihad Al-Shamie (in retrospect, the first name was a clue) killed one person and injured others in a stabbing attack on a synagogue in Manchester.
—
Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 30 Dec. 2025
Police have previously said the men were inspired by the Islamic State, with homemade flags of the militant group found in their car after the attack, and a monthlong trip by the pair to a Philippine island previously plagued by militancy a major focus of investigation.
—Reuters, NBC news, 30 Dec. 2025
The Nigerian government says attacks by militant groups are less about religion than where those groups are located.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 25 Dec. 2025
Israeli forces have launched several widescale military operations against Palestinian militant groups in cities in the West Bank.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 25 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for militant
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Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 30 Dec. 2025
Police have previously said the men were inspired by the Islamic State, with homemade flags of the militant group found in their car after the attack, and a monthlong trip by the pair to a Philippine island previously plagued by militancy a major focus of investigation.
—Reuters, NBC news, 30 Dec. 2025
The Nigerian government says attacks by militant groups are less about religion than where those groups are located.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 25 Dec. 2025
Israeli forces have launched several widescale military operations against Palestinian militant groups in cities in the West Bank.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 25 Dec. 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 1 Jan. 2026.
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
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