ammunition

American  

[am-yuh-nish-uhn] / ˌæm jəˈnɪʃ ən /

noun

ammunitions plural

1. the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon, as bombs or rockets, and especially shot, shrapnel, bullets, or shells fired by guns.

2. the means of igniting or exploding such material, as primers, fuzes, and gunpowder.

3. any material, means, weapons, etc., used in any conflict.

   a crude ammunition of stones.

4. information, advice, or supplies to help defend or attack a viewpoint, argument, or claim.

   Give me some ammunition for the debate.

5. Obsolete. any military supplies.

---

ammunition British  

/ ˌæmjʊˈnɪʃən /

noun

1. any projectiles, such as bullets, rockets, etc, that can be discharged from a weapon

2. bombs, missiles, chemicals, biological agents, nuclear materials, etc, capable of use as weapons

3. any means of defence or attack, as in an argument

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• ammunitions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of ammunition

1620–30; < Middle French amonitions, amunitions (plural) military supplies ( a- a- ⁵ + munition < Latin; see munition), or < French la munition, wrongly analyzed as l'amunition

Explanation

Soldiers carry their ammunition: the bullets and shells needed for their guns. The word ammunition is used to describe the supply of shells or bullets used for a gun, as well as nuclear, chemical or biological matter that can be used in much larger weapons. But we also use it for metaphorical attack material. If you're trying to prove that your big brother is a jerk, your neighbor's story about how he kicked her dog is ammunition for your argument.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ammunition ammunitions

Power lines came down in the area because of the flames, he said, and one of the homes that was burning appeared to have ammunition inside.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

Starmer, speaking to British reporters on his flight home, said the pistols were inscribed with the name of each leader and accompanied by a box of ammunition.

From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026

The images show a variety of targets hit from ammunition storage areas to ballistic missile infrastructure, nuclear and surface-to-air missile sites, and naval bases, according to military intelligence company Janes.

From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026

Buildings - identified by Janes as an ammunition storage area for an airbase - have been damaged at the strategically important Shekari 8 Iranian airbase.

From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026

I watch them empty the room of weapons and ammunition and move on, fast, scattering like seeds on the wind.

From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth

Numerous inmates at the prison, which is located near the ammunitions store, are reported to have been injured.

From BBC ● Apr. 1, 2026

The weapons and ammunitions segment posted a 38% jump in third-quarter sales to 691 million euros.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2025

They also captured the Yarmouk ammunitions factory in June, seized areas east of the strategic Halfaya Bridge and recently took over the south Khartoum and Omdurman Central Reserve Police bases, according to residents and analysts.

From New York Times ● Jul. 11, 2023

"There are hard-hitting business interests behind the entire ammunitions issue," the industry source said.

From Reuters ● Jun. 13, 2023

Not only were monetary transactions to a vast amount carried on, but large purchases were made of arms and ammunitions of war.

From The Golden Grasshopper A story of the days of Sir Thomas Gresham by Kingston, William Henry Giles

Related Words

• ammo
• armament
• bomb
• bullet
• cartridge
• chemical
• explosive
• gunpowder
• materiel
• missile
• munition
• napalm
• rocket
• shrapnel
• torpedo