pugilism

English

Etymology

1791, from Latin pugil (“fist”) +‎ -ism, related to pugnus (“fist”),^[1] from Proto-Indo-European roots. Compare contemporary pugilist (“boxer”) (1790).

Noun

pugilism (countable and uncountable; plural pugilisms)

1. fighting with fists, boxing

Usage notes

A rather fancy term, and may be considered pretentious. The simpler term boxing is much more common.

Related terms

• impugn
• poniard
• pugilist
• pugnacious
• repugn (repugnant)

References

1. ^ “pugilism” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary (2001).