pankration
- noun
- /pæŋˈkreɪʃən/
:
pankration
- The two fighters engaged in a brutal pankration, using every technique they had learned to gain the upper hand.
Examples
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The championship showcased a vibrant pankration that tested the limits of each athlete's skill and determination.
-
The kicking pose, however, is a signal that this match may be more of a pankration-style encounter, in which hitting and kicking were allowed.
Academic text (2011) -
In the ancient arena, the competitors faced each other in a pankration, where they could utilize both striking and grappling.
Synonyms
∞
2.4
A competition between people or groups to win something
3
3.7
A strong struggle between people to get the same job or prize
A large violent conflict between powerful groups
A very serious disagreement that becomes loud and violent
How Intense
Surface Forms
Morphology
pankration = pan + kration
Borrowed intact from Greek (pan- 'all' + -kration); the components are not productive English morphemes for most learners, so the figurative sense 'intense struggle' cannot be reliably derived without etymological knowledge.
Etymology
Pankration comes from the Greek parts pan- 'all' and kratos 'strength' or 'power'. So calling a dispute a pankration gives the image of an 'all-out' struggle where everyone uses all their strength and means.