militant

The story

1. Latin · derived frommīlitāns
2. Middle French · derived frommilitant
3. English todaymilitant

From Middle French militant, from Latin mīlitāns, present participle of mīlitāre (“to serve as a soldier”).

First known use, by meaning

• from 15th c. Fighting or disposed to fight; belligerent, warlike.
• from 17th c. Aggressively supporting of an idea, group, political or social cause, etc.; adamant, combative.
• 17th–19th c. A soldier, a combatant.
• from 19th c. An entrenched or aggressive adherent to a particular cause, now especially a member of a particular ideological faction.
• from 20th c. Someone who supports the Trotskyist political view expressed in the newspaper Militant.