militancy
UK[ˈmɪlɪtənsi]US[ˈmɪlɪtənsi]
n
the fact of being militant, or of using, or being willing to use, force or strong pressure to achieve your aims, especially to achieve social or political change.
Morpheme Breakdown
milit
ancy
milit
soldier
ancy
state or quality
Etymology
the word militancy originates from the latin militantia, meaning "military service" or "warfare," itself derived from militare (to serve as a soldier). the root miles (soldier) is of uncertain origin, though it may be related to a proto-indo-european root signifying a large number or mass, reflecting the nature of an army. the suffix -ancy evolved from latin -antia, which forms abstract nouns indicating a state or condition. thus, the literal "state of being a soldier" evolved metaphorically into the modern abstract meaning, denoting an aggressive, combative, or confrontational attitude in pursuing a cause, especially a political or social one.
Analysis
Structure: milit (soldier) + ancy (state or quality)
milit: from latin miles (genitive militis) meaning "soldier". functions as the core root denoting a combative or soldierly quality.
ancy: from latin -antia, a suffix forming nouns of state or quality, equivalent to english -ance.
Examples
the growing militancy of the protest movement led to increased clashes with authorities.
her political writings were marked by a sharp tone of intellectual militancy.
the union's shift towards greater militancy resulted in a prolonged strike.