militarism

[mil-i-tuh-riz-uhm]

noun

1. a strong military spirit or policy.

2. the principle or policy of maintaining a large military establishment.

3. the tendency to regard military efficiency as the supreme ideal of the state and to subordinate all other interests to those of the military.

militarism

/ ˈmɪlɪtəˌrɪzəm /

noun

1. military spirit; pursuit of military ideals

2. domination by the military in the formulation of policies, ideals, etc, esp on a political level

3. a policy of maintaining a strong military organization in aggressive preparedness for war

Other Word Forms

• antimilitarism noun
• promilitarism adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of militarism¹

1860–65; < French militarisme, equivalent to militar- (< Latin mīlitār ( is ) military ) + -isme -ism

Example Sentences

King’s critiques of capitalism, militarism and structural racism are often downplayed in most mainstream remembrances, leaving behind a softer image of peaceful dreamer.

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The president’s militarism and increasingly belligerent foreign policy, as symbolized by his War Department, is a betrayal of these voters.

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And above all, the United States should be a republic ruled by law and shaped by sound moral values, not a greed-driven empire fueled by militarism.

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It is a rallying cry against the gangster militarism and ruthless authoritarianism that enable such horrors, a reminder that our fight for the future is inextricably bound to the lives of the youngest among us.

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And how Russian composers, those who stayed and those who left, dealt with militarism, nationalism and the threat of repression has never felt more relevant.

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