Militate \Mil"i*tate\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Militated}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Militating}.] [L. militare, militatum, to be a soldier, fr. miles, militis, soldier.] To make war; to fight; to contend; -- usually followed by against and with. These are great questions, where great names militate against each other. --Burke. The invisible powers of heaven seemed to militate on the side of the pious emperor. --Gibbon.