MEANING
To have an effect that argues against, or less often supports, a particular course or conclusion.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- militate against success
- militate against a proposal
- militate in favor of
On the page
The narrow road militated against any hope of a rapid evacuation.
Her silence did not militate in favor of his innocence, whatever he claimed.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- militate
- Past tense
- militated
- Past participle
- militated
- Present participle
- militating
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- militate
- Present continuous
- am/is/are militating
- Present perfect
- have/has militated
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been militating
- Past
- militated
- Past continuous
- was/were militating
- Past perfect
- had militated
- Past perfect continuous
- had been militating
- Future
- will militate
- Future continuous
- will be militating
- Future perfect
- will have militated
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been militating
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary. Forms: militate; militates; militated; militated; militating Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: militates.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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