Etymology and origin of the Portuguese word militar
militar1 military; soldier
Etymology tree of militar1
From the same root · militar1
Pronunciation
- Brazil: /mi.liˈta(ʁ)/, [mi.liˈta(h)][1]
- São-Paulo: /mi.liˈta(ɾ)/[1]
- Rio-de-Janeiro: /mi.liˈta(ʁ)/, [mi.liˈta(χ)][1]
- Caipira: /mi.liˈta(ɻ)/[1]
Forms
militar m or f (plural militares)[1]
Etymology
The word for the adjective “military” is borrowed from Latin mīlitāris (“of soldiers, military”), formed from mīles (“soldier”) with the suffix -āris.[2][1][3][4] Nascentes and Aurélio derive the adjective, like the verb, from the Latin verb.[5][6]
French has the same learned borrowing in French militaire, recorded about 1355, and in Italian militare.[7][1]
Earliest recorded meaning
Lorenzo's chronology in the DDGM gives the first record from 1454, in a document of the Portuguese discoveries: nem a militar disciplina “nor the military discipline”;[8] Machado had dated the word only to the 16th century.[9] Houaiss takes the same date and source.[2]
Semantic evolution
Folqman's dictionary of 1755 renders the adjective by Latin militaris and bellicus, with disciplina militar “military discipline”.[8] Feijó in 1734 already uses militares for the men who serve in war, and Morais (1789) lists the noun hum militar “a man of war”, with the ordens militares, the orders of knighthood founded to fight, such as those of Christ, Santiago and Avis.[10][11]
Modern dictionaries tie the word to the three armed forces, and in a narrower sense to the army alone; it also describes what the armed forces impose or back, as in golpe militar “military coup”.[2][6][12] The Brazilian hora militar “military hour” is the exact time.[13]
Timeline
- 1454 – nem a militar disciplina in a document of the discoveries.[9]
- 1734 – Feijó uses militares for those who serve in war.[10]
- 1755 – Folqman enters the adjective with disciplina militar.[8]
- 1789 – Morais lists ordens militares and the noun hum militar.[11]
Meanings
Adjective
- military, relating to war (guerra), soldiers and the army.[2][6][1]
- Relating to the armed forces (forças armadas) (navy, army and air force) and their organisation; in a narrower sense, relating to the army: uma academia militar.[2][6][4]
- Carried out or backed by the armed forces: um regime militar.[2][12]
Noun
Word family
- militarismo
- militarizar
militar2 to serve as a soldier; to be active in a cause
Etymology tree of militar2
From the same root · militar2
Pronunciation
- Brazil: /mi.liˈta(ʁ)/, [mi.liˈta(h)][1]
- São-Paulo: /mi.liˈta(ɾ)/[1]
- Rio-de-Janeiro: /mi.liˈta(ʁ)/, [mi.liˈta(χ)][1]
- Caipira: /mi.liˈta(ɻ)/[1]
Forms
militar (first-person singular present milito, first-person singular preterite militei, past participle militado)[1]
Etymology
The word for the verb “to serve as a soldier” is borrowed from Latin mīlitō (“to be a soldier, serve in the army”), from mīles (“soldier”).[2][1][5] Houaiss and Cunha give it its own article beside the adjective.[2][14] The French counterpart is militer.[1]
Earliest recorded meaning
Houaiss dates the verb to 1572, and Cunha to the 16th century.[2][14] Bluteau quotes João de Barros's Décadas for it: Vitorias em que alguns dos nossos militàrão “victories in which some of ours fought”.[15]
Semantic evolution
Pereira's dictionary of 1697 renders the verb by Latin milito and mereo.[16] Bluteau (1712–1728) defines it as serving in war, waging war and practising the military art, and has militar debaixo da bandeira de alguém “to serve under someone's banner”;[15][17] Morais (1813) adds militar pola Fé, to make war on the infidels.[15][17]
The figurative senses grew from this: to pursue any career, to fight actively for an idea or cause, and to belong to a political party.[2][6] An argument or fact can also militar for or against something, that is, tell in its favour or against it.[6][4]
Timeline
- 16th century – first records of the verb;[16] Houaiss dates it to 1572.[14][2]
- 1697 – Pereira glosses it with Latin milito.[16]
- 1712–1728 – Bluteau defines the verb and quotes Barros.[15]
- 1813 – Morais adds militar pola Fé.[17]
Meanings
Verb
- (intransitive) To follow a career in the armed forces; to serve as a soldier.[2][6][18]
- To take part in a war; to fight (combater): militou contra os invasores.[2][6]
- To work in any career or profession: milita no jornalismo.[2]
- To fight actively for an idea or cause; to militate.[2][6][1]
- To be a member of a party or movement; to be a militant (militante).[2][4][18]
- Of an argument or fact: to tell in favour of or against something.[6][4]
Word family
- militância
Related words
Usage notes
Aulete notes that the plural militares of the adjective and noun is spelt like the personal infinitive and future subjunctive form militares of the verb.[12]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Houaiss, Antônio; Villar, Mauro de Salles (2001), Dicionário Houaiss da língua portuguesa, Rio de Janeiro: Objetiva, p. s.v. militar
- ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. s.v. mīlitāris
- ^ a b c d e f Academia das Ciências de Lisboa, Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa, revised online edition (2023–) of the Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa Contemporânea (2001), https://dicionario.acad-ciencias.pt, p. s.v. militar
- ^ a b Nascentes, Antenor (1966), Dicionário etimológico resumido, Rio de Janeiro: Instituto Nacional do Livro, p. s.v. militar
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Ferreira, Aurélio Buarque de Holanda, Novo dicionário Aurélio da língua portuguesa, digital edition, p. s.v. militar
- ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert, p. s.v. militaire
- ^ a b c Folqman, Carlos (1755), Diccionario portuguez, e latino, Lisboa: Régia Officina Silviana (CLP transcription, Universidade de Aveiro), p. s.v. militar
- ^ a b Instituto da Lingua Galega, Dicionario de dicionarios do galego medieval (DDGM), ed. Ernesto González Seoane, Santiago de Compostela: Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, https://ilg.usc.gal/ddgm, p. s.v. militar
- ^ a b Feijó, João de Morais Madureira (1734), Orthographia, ou Arte de escrever, e pronunciar com acerto a lingua portugueza, Lisboa (CLP transcription, Universidade de Aveiro), p. s.v. militar
- ^ a b Silva, António de Morais (1789), Diccionario da lingua portugueza composto pelo padre D. Rafael Bluteau, reformado, e accrescentado, 2 vols., Lisboa: Simão Thaddeo Ferreira, p. 2, 82
- ^ a b c Aulete, Francisco Júlio Caldas, Dicionário contemporâneo da língua portuguesa (1st ed. 1881), online as Aulete Digital, Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon, https://aulete.com.br, p. s.v. militar
- ^ Michaelis: Moderno Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa, São Paulo: Melhoramentos (online as Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa, https://michaelis.uol.com.br), p. s.v. militar
- ^ a b c Cunha, Antônio Geraldo da (2010), Dicionário etimológico da língua portuguesa, 4th ed., Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon, p. s.v. militar
- ^ a b c d Bluteau, Raphael (1712–1728), Vocabulario portuguez e latino, 8 vols. + 2 supplement vols., Coimbra / Lisboa (CLP transcription, Universidade de Aveiro), p. s.v. militar
- ^ a b c Pereira, Bento (1697), Thesouro da lingoa portuguesa, in the 1697 edition of his Prosodia (1st ed. 1647; CLP transcription, Universidade de Aveiro), p. s.v. militar
- ^ a b c Silva, António de Morais (1813), Diccionario da lingua portugueza, 2nd ed., 2 vols., Lisboa: Typographia Lacerdina, p. 2, 299
- ^ a b Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa, Lisboa: Priberam Informática, https://dicionario.priberam.org, p. s.v. militar
Related etymologies
Cite this entry
“Militar.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/pt/militar. Accessed 16 Nov. 2026.
Last edited on . ·