Bellicism

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈbÉ›lɪsɪzmÌ©/

Origin

From Latin bellic(us) + -ism.

Full definition of bellicism

Noun

1. An inclination to war; warlike policy or behaviour.
• 1962, Michael Howard, The Causes of Wars, p. 271:One cannot understand the causes of the First World War unless one appreciates the degree of bellicism in European society at that time, especially in Central Europe ….
• 2003, Timothy Patrick Jackson, The Priority of Love, p. 126:Today the phrase "holy war" suggests a no holds barred fanaticism, a form of unbridled bellicism.
• 2012, Christopher Clark, The Sleepwalkers, Penguin 2013, p. 295:Not all of France was inundated by the nationalist wave – it was predominantly young, intelligent Parisians who embraced the new bellicism ….

Related terms

• bellicist
• bellicose

Synonyms

• militarism

Antonyms

• pacifism