belligerent meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

belligerent

adj

AU, UK /bəˈlɪdʒ.ə.ɹənt/ · US /bəˈlɪd͡ʒ.ɚ.ənt/

Etymology From Latin belligerans (“waging war”), present active participle of belligerō (“to wage war”), from belliger (“waging war, warlike”), from bellum (“war”) + -ger (from gerō (“to lead, wage, carry on”)).

Engaged in warfare, warring.

Eager to go to war, warlike.

Of or pertaining to war.

Broadly Aggressively hostile, eager to fight.

And I think the facts are that Beijing is a belligerent bully jealous and envious of what Taiwan has accomplished- mainland China- that's what I get out of all of this.1999 August 5, Jesse Helms, quotee, 1:27 from the start, in USA: CHINA/TAIWAN TENSIONS MOUNTING, Associated Press, archived from the original on 31 Jan 2026:
England were not allowed to give their chariot the momentum it had a week ago. It was stopped dead in its tracks by a belligerent Springboks defence that simply refused to yield.2019 November 3, Liam de Carme, “Boks, you beauties”, in Sunday Times:

Acting violently towards others.

Uncooperative.

Synonyms: aggressive, antagonistic, bellicose, combative, contentious, pugnacious, quarrelsome, truculent
Antonyms: conciliatory, friendly, peaceful
Derived terms: antibelligerent, belligerati, belligerently, cobelligerent, interbelligerent, nonbelligerent, non-belligerent, unbelligerent
Related terms: bellicose, belligerence, belligerency

belligerent

noun

A state or other armed participant in warfare

The UN sent a treaty proposal to the belligerents.

Derived terms: cobelligerent
Related terms: warmonger