bellicism

B3E1L1L1I1C3I1S1M3
UK/ˈbɛlɪsɪzm̩/

noun

An inclination to war; warlike policy or behaviour.

Similar
hawkismmilitarismwarismwarmongerism
Opposite
pacifism
OriginLatin bellic(us) →
Scrabble 15
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Meanings

nounbellicism (uncountable)
  1. uncountableAn inclination to war; warlike policy or behaviour.

    Today the phrase "holy war" suggests a no holds barred fanaticism, a form of unbridled bellicism.

    2003, Timothy Patrick Jackson, The Priority of Love, page 126
    2 more examples

    One cannot understand the causes of the First World War unless one appreciates the degree of bellicism in European society at that time, especially in Central Europe […].

    1962, Michael Howard, The Causes of Wars, page 271

    Not all of France was inundated by the nationalist wave – it was predominantly young, intelligent Parisians who embraced the new bellicism […].

    2012, Christopher Clark, The Sleepwalkers, Penguin, published 2013, page 295

    Synonyms: hawkism, militarism, warism, warmongerism

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAn inclination to war; warlike policy or behaviour.

Similar
hawkismmilitarismwarismwarmongerism
Opposite
pacifism
Also see
warismwarmongerism

Origin

  1. Latinbellic(us)
  2. Englishbellicism

From Latin bellic(us) + -ism.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic عُدْوَانِيَّة
  • عُدْوَانِيَّة (ʕudwāniyya)an inclination to war — see also militarism
Bulgarian во́йнственост
  • во́йнственост (vójnstvenost)an inclination to war — see also militarism
Chinese Mandarin 黷武主義 /黩武主义
  • 黷武主義 /黩武主义 (dúwǔzhǔyì)an inclination to war — see also militarism
Finnish sodan lietsonta
  • sodan lietsontaan inclination to war — see also militarism
French bellicisme
  • bellicismean inclination to war — see also militarism
German Bellizismus, Kriegstreiberei
  • Bellizismusan inclination to war — see also militarism
  • Kriegstreibereian inclination to war — see also militarism
Italian bellicismo
  • bellicismoan inclination to war — see also militarism
Japanese 軍国主義
  • 軍国主義 (gunkokushugi)an inclination to war — see also militarism
Korean 군국주의
  • 군국주의 (gun'gukjuui)an inclination to war — see also militarism
Polish wojowniczość
  • wojowniczośćan inclination to war — see also militarism
Romanian belicism
  • belicisman inclination to war — see also militarism
Russian вои́нственность
  • вои́нственность (voínstvennostʹ)an inclination to war — see also militarism
Spanish belicismo
  • belicismoan inclination to war — see also militarism
Ukrainian войовни́чість
  • войовни́чість (vojovnýčistʹ)an inclination to war — see also militarism
Cite this entry
APA

bellicism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bellicism

MLA

“bellicism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bellicism. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bellicism,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bellicism.

Source: bellicism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.