Hostility, n.; pl. Hostilities.
Etymology: [L. hostilitas: cf. F. hostilité.]
1. State of being hostile; public or private enemy; unfriendliness; animosity. Hostility being thus suspended with France. Hayward.
2. An act of an open enemy; a hostile deed; especially in the plural, acts of warfare; attacks of an enemy. We have showed ourselves generous adversaries . . . and have carried on even our hostilities with humanity. Atterbury. He who proceeds to wanton hostility, often provokes an enemy where he might have a friend. Crabb.
Syn. -- Animosity; enmity; opposition; violence; aggression; contention; warfare.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for hostility; he lists it under antipathy, enmity, feud, hatred.
Where he writes about it:
A natural antipathy may give rise to opposition which may result in hatred and hostility. — from antipathy
Hostility is enmity in action; the term hostilities between nations denotes actual armed collision. — from enmity
A feud is enmity between families, clans, or parties, with acts of hostility mutually retaliated and avenged; feud is rarely used of individuals, never of nations. — from feud
Bitterness is in feeling only; enmity and hostility involve will and purpose to oppose or injure. — from feud
Synonyms
antipathyenmityfeudhatredabhorrenceacrimonyaffrayangeranimosityantagonismaversionbitternessbrawlbroilcontentioncontestcontroversydetestationdisgustdislikedisputedissensiondistastefraygrudgehateill willmalevolencemalicemalignityoppositionquarrelrancorrepugnancerepulsionresentmentrevengespitestrifeuncongeniality