militancy

/ˈmɪlətənsi/

Militancy means using violence or aggressiveness, usually to support a cause. Militancy make sense on the battlefield but is unwelcome in the school cafeteria during lunch. So no food fights.

The noun militancy comes from militant, "combative, violent, or confrontational," which we can trace back to the Latin miles, or "soldier." When soldiers employ militancy, it makes sense, since they are members of the military, which is all about aggression and combat. Seeing militancy in schools or on city streets is a lot more alarming to most people.

Definitions of militancy

1. noun

   a militant aggressiveness
   synonyms: combativeness, militance

   types:

   scrappiness

   the trait of being scrappy and pugnacious

   type of:

   aggressiveness

   the quality of being bold and enterprising