militance
1
8.8
- noun
- /ˈmɪlɪtəns/
:
militancia
- Originating as a series of localized protests erupting in New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, and California early in the decade, by 1968 this militance had taken on the characteristics of a cohesive social movement.
Examples
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The group's militance reflected their determination to challenge the status quo and advocate for their beliefs.
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Although passivity and retreat in the face of a culture war are what have led to militance on the other side.
Blog text (1) -
See Gay Seidman, Manufacturing Militance: Workers' Movements in Brazil and South Africa, 1970-1985 (Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1994).
Academic text (1997) -
More importantly, the events surrounding the 1969 conference contributed to an intensifying debate among Mexican Americans over the wisdom of pursuing the politics of ethnic militance.
Academic text (1991) -
Indeed, in some ways, the shift in opinion on the immigration issue can be traced as a direct offshoot of a larger debate raging among Mexican Americans over the outbreak of "Chicano" militance at the end of the 1960s.
Academic text (1991) -
The mainstream press, the government, and the police used ethnicity in ways common in other Brazilian regions: discrediting the strike by associating militance and violence with foreigners and reprimanding immigrant workers for their ingratitude for the economic opportunities offered by their new country.
Academic text (2000) -
The protestors showed great militance in their demands for change, refusing to back down despite opposition.
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His militance on social issues made him a prominent figure in the fight for equality.
Synonyms
8
8.1
A strong effort to support political or social change that can use force
5
7.9
Unfriendly and aggressive behavior that tries to start a fight
1
7.5
A willingness to argue or fight
How Militant
Surface Forms
Morphology
militance = militant (transparent) = milit + ance
Derived from the adjective 'militant' with the regular noun-forming suffix '-ance', so learners who know 'militant' can infer the meaning.
Etymology
Militance comes from the Latin root milit- (seen in militare) meaning 'to serve as a soldier', and it shares the same root as military and militant. So militance is like a 'soldier-like' or combative way of supporting a cause, which explains its modern meaning of aggressive or fighting support.