# militate against

CEFR C1 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/militate-against
Updated: 2026-07-26

## Definition

to make it harder for something to happen or succeed. You use this when a fact or situation works as a disadvantage against a plan.

For teachers: to serve as a powerful or conclusive factor in preventing a certain outcome. This verb is intransitive and functions as a formal, often academic, way to describe opposing forces or evidence.

## Examples

- The bad weather will militate against our chances of finishing the roof today.
- His lack of experience in international law might militate against his application for the senior diplomatic post.
- Several structural factors militate against the success of the new economic policy, most notably the high rate of inflation and the lack of foreign investment.

## Pitfalls

- Not "The evidence militates for a change in policy." but "The evidence militates against the current policy." — in modern usage, 'militate' is almost exclusively paired with 'against' to show opposition, not 'for' to show support.

## Usage notes

- almost always followed by the preposition 'against' and an abstract noun representing a goal or outcome.
- Teaching tip: ensure students do not confuse this with 'mitigate'; 'militate' acts like a weight against something, while 'mitigate' makes a bad situation less severe.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.