Warmongerism

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act of promoting warfare or hostile actions for personal or political advancement reflects a mindset of aggression
2. Engaging in the encouragement of warlike behavior and militaristic approaches signifies a dedication to conflict-driven policies
3. The practice of advocating for military conflict and aggression instead of peace reveals a tendency towards hostility in political or social contexts

Etymology: "Warmongerism" is a plain compound: "warmonger" with the suffix "-ism" added. "Warmonger" itself is built from "war" and "monger," an old English word meaning a dealer or trader, as in "fishmonger" and "ironmonger." So a warmonger is, literally, someone who trades in war. The suffix "-ism" turns a person-noun into a name for a doctrine, practice or attitude. Warmongerism therefore names the promotion of war as a policy or habit of mind, rather than the person who promotes it. Because the word is a transparent formation from two familiar parts, its meaning follows directly from them, and it has no separate history of its own beyond the history of "warmonger" and "-ism."

Synonyms: militarism

Antonyms: pacifism