English

Noun

hostility ‎(countable and uncountable, plural hostilities)

1. (uncountable) The state of being hostile.
   • 1603, John Florio, translating Michel de Montaigne, Essayes, London: Edward Blount, OCLC 946730821, II.12:

     There is no hostilitie so excellent, as that which is absolutely Christian.

   • 2011 October 1, Phil McNulty, “Everton 0-2 Liverpool”, in BBC Sport:

     But with Goodison Park openly directing its full hostility towards Atkinson, Liverpool went ahead when Carroll turned in his first Premier League goal of the season after 70 minutes.

   • 2013 September 28, Kenan Malik, "London Is Special, but Not That Special," New York Times (retrieved 28 September 2013):

     The polarization of wealth and the polarization of attitudes to diversity are not unrelated. A key reason for popular hostility to immigrants is that to many people, particularly within working-class communities, immigration has become a symbol of unacceptable change.

2. (countable) A hostile action, especially a military action. See hostilities for specific plural definition.

Synonyms

• (state of being hostile): antagonism, opposition, enmity, animosity, antipathy, hatred
• (military action): war, fighting, combat

Antonyms

• (state of being hostile): amity, friendliness
• (military action): peace

Translations