HOSTIL'ITY, noun [Latin hostilitas, from hostis, an enemy.] 1. The state of war between nations or states; the actions of an open enemy; aggression; attacks of an enemy. These secret enmities broke out in hostilities. Hostility being thus suspended with France. We have carried on even our hostilities with humanity. 2. Private enmity; a sense less proper.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI