belli-, bell-

(Latin: war; fight, fighting)

War too often takes many lives and is excessively destructive

Too many wars have been fought and too much blood has been shed and terrible wide-spread suffering has resulted; however; sometimes, it is the only means of stopping aggressive attacks by inhumane leaders!

—Compiled from information located at
Words Come in Families by Edward Horowitz, Ph.D.;
Hart Publishing Company, Inc.; New York; 1977; page 24.
antebellum (an" tee BEL uhm) (adjective) (no comparative)
A reference to a period just before a war; especially, the American Civil War or the War between the States: So significant was the American Civil War, that the Latin nomenclature of antebellum has been used to characterize the period before the U.S. Civil War, while "postbellum" refers to the time after the Civil War years.

bellatrix
1. A blue eruptive variable star, the third brightest star in the constellation Orion; Gamma (γ) Orionis.
2. A bright star in the left shoulder of Orion, from Latin bellatrix, "a female warrior"; feminine of bellator, "to wage war"; from Latin bellum, "war".
belle epoque
bellicism
War-mindedness.

In peace, sons bury their fathers; in war, fathers bury their sons.

—Horodotus, Greek historian, ca. 500 B.C.
bellicose (adjective), more bellicose, most bellicose
1. Characteristic of being ready, or inclined, to quarrel, fight, or go to war: Cara's bellicose attitude when she was concentrating on a project was a signal to her fellow workers to leave her alone.
2. Warlike in manner or temperament; pugnacious, contentious, quarrelsome: Delmar's small size and physical stature could have made him a natural target for teasing, but his bellicose attitude deterred or stopped others from bullying him.

It is well that war is so terrible. We shouldn't grow too fond of it.

—General Robert E. Lee; American general
who led the Confederate armies in the American Civil War (1807-1870)
Warlike and tending to fight.
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Fighting and being belligerent.
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bellicosely
In a bellicose manner or warlike in manner or temperament.
bellicoseness
A natural disposition to fight or go to war.
bellicosity
1. Characterized by being in favor of or inclined to start quarrels or wars.
2. Warlike in nature; aggressive; hostile.
3. Showing or having the impulse to be combative.

I shall give a propagandist reason for starting the war, no matter whether it is plausible or not. The victor will not be asked afterwards whether he told the truth or not. When starting and waging war it is not right that matters, but victory.

—Adolf Hitler, German dictator
belligerence
1. The quality of being hostile, ready to start a fight, or ready to go to war.
2. A hostile or warlike attitude, nature, or inclination; belligerency.
belligerency
1. The state of being at war or being engaged in a warlike conflict.
2. Acts of overt warfare or a hostile, warlike attitude, or nature.

There has never been a good war or a bad peace.

—Benjamin Franklin
belligerent (adjective), more belligerent, most belligerent
1. Relating to, or characteristic of, a participant in war or a fight: The Arab nations refused to approve a non-belligerency clause in any agreement with Israel and so, there are still some very belligerent Arab countries.
3. Descriptive of a person, a group, or a nation provoking or engaging in battle: The belligerent attacks by the Syrian government against its own citizens has resulted in the slaughter of many innocent children and adults who have been in their homes and not participating in any rebellions against the regime.
Characteristic of being hostile and warlike in attitude.
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belligerently
1. Inclined to, or exhibiting, assertiveness, hostility, or combativeness.
2. Having, or showing, an eagerness to fight.
bellipotent (adjective), more bellipotent, most bellipotent
A reference to the force or power of war: In the novel, bellipotent troops proved to be stalwart and strong in the battle between the two opposing nations.
Bellona
In Roman Mythology, the goddess of war.
casus belli (kay" suhs BEL igh; kuh" suhs BEL ee) (s) (noun), casus belli, casus bellis (pl)
1. A situation, or event, that causes, or is the pretext for starting, a war or other conflict: In Medieval times, throwing down a gauntlet before your enemy was often seen as a casus belli or an insult which usually resulted in a battle.
2. An act, or event, that provokes or is used to justify a war or which brings about a declaration of military action: The two countries, which thought of themselves as being powerful, frequently invented or caused casus belli in order to provoke the other into an attack that could lead to an armed conflict.
3. Etymology: from Latin casus, "occasion" + belli, bellum, "war".
Something that can cause an attack or to give reasons for such an assault.
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Related "war, war-like" or "battle" word units: areo-; -machy; milit-.