Bellicoseness

/ˈbɛlɪkoʊsnəs/ noun

Definition

The quality or state of being bellicose; an inclination toward warfare, aggression, or conflict.

Etymology

From 'bellicose' (adjective, from Latin 'bellicosus') + '-ness' (suffix forming abstract nouns). Represents the transformation of an adjective describing attitude into a noun describing the state itself.

Kelly Says

This word captures something historical—the bellicoseness of nations in the 19th and early 20th centuries led directly to massive wars, so historians often use it to describe the aggressive nationalism of those eras.

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