Meanings
nounpugnacity (usually uncountable, plural pugnacities)
plural pugnacities
- uncountableusuallyThe act or characteristic of being aggressive or combative.
His sister is out front, cleaning her gun with that intimidating pugnacity that has most of the men in town keeping well clear of her.
2022, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Children of Memory, Tor, page 119Synonyms: pugnaciousness
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe act or characteristic of being aggressive or combative.
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinpugnacitas
- Englishpugnacity
From Latin pugnacitas (whence -acity).
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Polish wojowniczość, awanturniczość
- wojowniczośćact or quality of being pugnacious
- awanturniczośćact or quality of being pugnacious
- zadzierzystośćact or quality of being pugnacious
- zadziornośćact or quality of being pugnacious
- zawadiackośćact or quality of being pugnacious
- czupurnośćact or quality of being pugnacious
Cite this entry
APA
pugnacity. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pugnacity
MLA
“pugnacity.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pugnacity. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pugnacity,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pugnacity.
Source: pugnacity on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.