Aggression and aggressiveness are closely related—both meaning hostile or destructive behavior or actions—but, in practical usage, aggression is usually more extreme. While aggression involves malicious or even violent hostility, aggressiveness is rarely malicious. It may even be viewed as a positive character attribute in the workplace or on a sports field. Aggression, in contrast, involves behaviors that would not be considered acceptable in these settings.
Aggressiveness is especially common in American and Canadian English. British and Australian writers use aggression more broadly to cover both violent hostility and the type of boldness that benefits sports players and businesspeople.
Examples
With the following examples, note how aggressiveness is a neutral or positive thing while aggression is problematic:
Cook has already made his mark on the company, encouraging efficiency and market aggressiveness. [Forbes]
So far, it’s seemed that violence in video games may spur aggression in players … [Washington Post]
Bellore made 472 tackles in college, then took that aggressiveness onto the Jets’ practice fields. [Winnipeg Free Press]
Some use aggression as an outlet, which can be a challenge for parents to deal with if they also want to be a disciplinarian. [Globe and Mail]
