Philopolemos

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Having a strong love of war, battle, or quarrelling, and eager to take part in conflict
2. Eagerly inclined toward warfare and combat, always ready to pick a fight or contend with others
3. Showing a fondness for strife and hostilities, delighting in contests of arms or disputes

Etymology: Philopolemos is a Greek compound: "philos" means "loving" or "dear," and "polemos" means "war." Together they describe someone fond of fighting, a warrior by temperament rather than merely by circumstance. The first element also appears in "philanthropy" and "philosophy," so readers who know those words already have the key to this one. The second element, "polemos," lies behind the English "polemic." The Greek adjective "polemikos" meant "warlike," and English later borrowed the form for heated argument in writing. That shift from battlefield to debate makes a useful comparison, since a Greek love of combat could be applied to verbal quarrels as easily as to physical ones.

Synonyms: bellicose, warlike, belligerent, militant, martial

Antonyms: pacifist, peaceable, pacific