fighting word

English - English

Definition of fighting word in English English dictionary

A word that one uses to provoke a fight or hostility. Often used in the plural: "Fighting words are categorically excluded from the protection of the First Amendment... their content embodies a particularly intolerable and socially unnecessary mode of expressing whatever idea the speaker wishes to convey" (Antonin Scalia)

Related Terms

word-self">fighting words

Aggressive words that may lead to confrontation

Hyphenation

fight·ing word

Turkish pronunciation

faytîng wırd

Pronunciation

/ˈfītəɴɢ ˈwərd/ /ˈfaɪtɪŋ ˈwɜrd/