[Ads-l] belligerent, n. = 'military adversary'

[Cohen, Gerald Leonard]

You may be missing a nuance here: The enemy is seen as belligerent/aggressive/unethical/s.o.b's.  Our side,

by contrast, is seen as pacifiers/promoters of peace/nation builders.  I suppose that's what Lt. Gen. Stewart was thinking.


Gerald Cohen

________________________________
Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM,  Friday, May 12, 2017 10:40 AM, wrote:

But that's not the meaning intended here.

Acc. to MW and long-established usage, *all* sides in a war are
"belligerents," not just the enemy.

JL

On Fri, May 12, 2017 at 11:04 AM, Mark Mandel <thnidu at gmail.com> wrote:

> https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/belligerent

[https://assets2.merriam-webster.com/mw/static/social-media-share/mw-logo-245x245@1x.png]<https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/belligerent>

Belligerent | Definition of Belligerent by Merriam-Webster<https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/belligerent>
www.merriam-webster.com
Define belligerent: angry and aggressive : feeling or showing readiness to fight - Belligerent pronunciation.



>
> 2 belligerent
> noun bel=C2=B7lig=C2=B7er=C2=B7ent
> Legal Definition of belligerent
>
>     : a belligerent nation, state, or person
>
>
>
> https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=3Dbelligerent

[https://www.hmhco.com/shop/books/assets/product/9780547041018.gif]<https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=3Dbelligerent>

American Heritage Dictionary - Search<https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=3Dbelligerent>
www.ahdictionary.com
The American Heritage Dictionary entry: 3Dbelligerent



>
> bel=C2=B7lig=C2=B7er=C2=B7ent (b=C9=99-l=C4=ADj=EE=80=9F=C9=99r-=C9=99nt)=
* [Wow, I wonder what they were using for a
> stress mark! Or rather, why they were using it.]*
>
> adj.
> ...
> n.
> One that is hostile or aggressive, especially one that is engaged in war
>
>
> Mark
>
>
> On May 11, 2017 10:51 AM, "Jonathan Lighter" wrote:
>
> > Not in OED.
> >
> > Lt. Gen. Vincent Stewart, Director DIA, testifies that  without more
> > assets the stalemate in Afghanistan "will deteriorate in the favor of
 the belligerents."
> >
> >
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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Devoted to the study of English around the world.



>



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