antitank

American  

[an-tee-tangk, an-tahy-] / ˌæn tiˈtæŋk, ˌæn taɪ- /

adjective

Military.

1. designed for use against tanks or other armored vehicles.

   antitank gun.

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antitank British  

/ ˌæntɪˈtæŋk /

adjective

1.  ATK.  designed to immobilize or destroy armoured vehicles

   antitank weapons

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Etymology

Origin of antitank

First recorded in 1915–20; anti- + tank

Explanation

Anything described as antitank is used to defend against tanks, which are massive, armored vehicles. Antitank armor will withstand a shell from a tank. Tanks are huge, armored military vehicles. Any word with the prefix anti goes against something else. Therefore, antitank measures and equipment are designed to defend against attack by tanks. An antitank gun fires at a tank, hoping to hold it off. An antitank barrier is designed to hold back a tank and must be extremely strong. This word is a lot like antiaircraft and antisubmarine, which describe defenses against aircraft and submarines.

Example Sentences

The intelligence shows Iranian-backed Hezbollah is restocking rockets, antitank missiles and artillery, the people said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025

Overnight, Israel said a military drone struck a militant cell that tried to launch antitank missiles at northern Israel, near the town of Metula.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 12, 2023

Ukraine also plants expansive fields of antitank mines, to stop Russian advances.

From New York Times • Jul. 17, 2023

Denis complained that even tanks could lose up to three-quarters of their speed when traversing muddy terrain, making them easy prey for infantry armed with Kornets, Russian antitank guided weapons.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2023

This was something he hadn’t seen on maneuvers, and he pointed it out to Testaverde, who shrugged and went back to counting antitank rounds.

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson