Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Characterized by aggression.
  • adjective Inclined to behave in an actively hostile fashion.
  • adjective Assertive, bold, and energetic.
  • adjective Of or relating to an investment or approach to investing that seeks above-average returns by taking above-average risks.
  • adjective Fast growing; tending to spread quickly and invade.
  • adjective Characterized by or inclined toward vigorous or intensive medical treatment.
  • adjective Intense or harsh, as in color.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Characterized by aggression; tending to aggress; prone to begin a quarrel; making the first attack; offensive, as opposed to defensive: as, the minister pursued an aggressive foreign policy.
  • Synonyms Aggressive, Offensive. Offensive is the direct opposite to defensive. Offensive warfare is that in which one is quick to give battle, as opportunity offers or can be made, and presses upon the enemy. Aggressive warfare is only secondarily of this sort; primarily it is a warfare prompted by the spirit of encroachment, the desire of conquest, plunder, etc. A war that is thus aggressive is naturally offensive at first, but may lose that character by the vigor of the resistance made; it then ceases to be thought of as aggressive. Hence aggressive has come to be often synonymous with offensive.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Tending or disposed to aggress; having or showing determination and energetic pursuit of one's own ends at the expense of others or mindless of others' needs or desires; characterized by aggression; making assaults; unjustly attacking. Opposite of unaggressive.
  • adjective marked by self-confident ambition, competitiveness, energy and initiative.
  • adjective (Med., Biol.) tending to spread quickly.
  • adjective characteristic of an enemy or one eager to fight.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Tending or disposed to aggress; characterized by aggression; making assaults; unjustly attacking.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective having or showing determination and energetic pursuit of your ends
  • adjective characteristic of an enemy or one eager to fight
  • adjective tending to spread quickly

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From aggress +‎ -ive. Compare with French agressif.

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Examples

  • They use the term aggressive, and they define "aggressive" including things like insulting other kids, as well as fighting, and hitting, and more violence.

    CNN Transcript Aug 25, 2002 2002

  • REEVES: The staunchly conservative Pope Benedict spoke of the threat to tradition and culture in Britain from what he called aggressive secularism.

    Pope Confronts Criticism On Sex Abuse Scandal 2010

  • REEVES: The staunchly conservative Pope Benedict spoke of the threat to tradition and culture in Britain from what he called aggressive secularism.

    Pope Confronts Criticism On Sex Abuse Scandal 2010

  • REEVES: The staunchly conservative Pope Benedict spoke of the threat to tradition and culture in Britain from what he called aggressive secularism.

    Pope Confronts Criticism On Sex Abuse Scandal 2010

  • The White House officials says the president will tout what they call the aggressive steps the administration has taken to bring the economy back to from brink and now they are they are committed to winding down Washington's involvement in the financial sector.

    CNN Transcript Sep 13, 2009 2009

  • They have consistently tried to degrade the political structure there, the Baath Party, the ruling Iraqi party, and the irregulars, and anytime they think they see a group gathering of Fedayeen or others, they try to target that either from the air or, if they can, by what they call aggressive in-and-out hit-and-run patrols into the city.

    CNN Transcript Apr 2, 2003 2003

  • Unlike Macy's Inc., Kohl's was able to expand its gross margin, a measure of profitability, as the Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony brands met what it called "aggressive" sales plans.

    BusinessWeek.com -- Top News 2011

  • Romney's advisers stressed that he met all his federal tax obligations, provided maximum transparency and did not take advantage of what they described as "aggressive" strategies often used by the ultra-rich.

    Yahoo! News: Business - Opinion 2012

  • He added that China's government leaders had also appeared to be unaware of what he called aggressive actions taken by Chinese naval vessels against a US Navy surveillance ship in 2009, and of an anti-satellite test in recent years.

    BBC News - Home 2011

  • Djokovic has heard critics decry what he called an "aggressive," and what others have called an arrogant, personality.

    NYT > Home Page By JORGE CASTILLO 2011

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