Plural of aggressor; people or groups that attack, invade, or start hostile action against others.
From Latin aggressus (from ad- meaning toward, gradi meaning to step/go), creating a word for someone who steps forward to attack; used in legal and military contexts since the 1600s.
Psychologists study 'reactive aggression' versus 'proactive aggression'—the aggressor label can mask complex motivations, as many aggressive behaviors are actually defensive responses to threats, meaning history's 'aggressors' often saw themselves as defending against what they perceived as greater threats.
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