aggress

Aggress is a verb in English that means to initiate hostilities or to attack, especially by moving against another party with hostile intent or by invading territory. The term is rarely used in modern language and is typically found in historical, literary, or legal contexts. In everyday usage, speakers usually choose more common verbs such as attack, assault, invade, or encroach.

Etymology: Aggression traces back to Latin aggreditus from aggredi, meaning to advance toward or to attack. It passed through Old French agresser and Middle English forms before entering English as aggress and related derivatives. The sense of entering into conflict or initiating aggression remains central to the word’s historical meaning.

Usage and nuance: In contemporary English, aggress is often described as archaic or literary. It appears primarily in older texts, formal rhetoric, or discussions of historical warfare. Modern writing tends to favor synonyms like attack, assault, or invade when describing hostile action. The noun form aggression and the noun aggressor are more common for naming the act or the person who performs it, while the adjective aggressive is used to describe behavior or individuals.

See also: aggression, aggressor, aggressive, aggression in international law.

Note: Because aggress is infrequent in current usage, readers encountering it should consider context and look for more standard alternatives to ensure clarity.