Warring

Part of speech: adjective, verb

Definitions

1. Participating in hostile engagements or conflicts
2. Taking part in active combat or hostilities between opposing groups
3. Involved in violent struggles or disputes typically between organized factions

Etymology: "Warring" is simply the form of "war" plus the ending "-ing," used to describe things or people engaged in conflict. The verb "war" came into English from Old French "werre," which itself came from a Germanic source related to the idea of confusion or discord, and it has been part of the language since the Middle Ages. Adding "-ing" turns the verb into a participle that can also work as an adjective, so "warring factions" are factions that are actively fighting one another. The Middle English spelling "werrynge" shows the word in its earlier form, with the same root and the same ending, so the structure has changed little over the centuries. Only the spelling has shifted as English settled into its modern form.

Synonyms: conflicting, fighting, battling, hostile, combative

Antonyms: peaceful, harmonious, amicable, friendly, cooperative