militate

present singular third person militates · participle present militating · participle past militated · past militated

1. To give force or effect toward; to influence.

   to militate in favor of a particular result

   5 more examples

   Trade sanctions militate against international cooperation.

   The 8-ft. singles were pre-eminently express engines, and were not satisfactory on secondary duties where frequent stops were called for, which militated against their being retained in service.

   1944 January and February, W. J. Reynolds, “Locomotive No. 1007 of the Great Northern Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 7

   It has been at least an academic tradition, if no more, that mathematical studies militate against amatory inclinations.

   1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 149

   There are no missing values for burglary victimization in the data, whereas there are ten missing values for robbery―and as many for physical assault. This fact would militate in favor of using burglary as the independent variable.

   2001, Bernard E. Harcourt, chapter 3, in Illusion of Order

   There are a number of theoretical concerns which might seem to militate against the successful creation of a dictionary of Indian English.

   2012, James Lambert, “Beyond Hobson-Jobson: A new lexicography for Indian English”, in World Englishes, page 308

   Synonyms: mitigate

2. obsoleteTo serve as a soldier or participate in warfare.

   This..moues many Italian Caualiers to militate in the warres of Holland.

   1625, Nathanael Brent, Free Schoole of Warre