disarmament
Americannoun
-
the act or an instance of disarming.
-
the reduction or limitation of the size, equipment, armament, etc., of the army, navy, or air force of a country.
noun
-
the reduction of offensive or defensive fighting capability, as by a nation
-
the act of disarming or state of being disarmed
Other Word Forms
- nondisarmament noun
- prodisarmament adjective
Etymology
Origin of disarmament
Explanation
When a country reduces or eliminates its military weapons, or arms, it's called disarmament. Nuclear disarmament is the reduction of nuclear weapons around the world. After wars, countries often deal with disarmament, reducing the arms on both sides in a balanced way. Proponents of nuclear disarmament aim for the same thing, often with the ultimate goal being complete elimination of all weapons of mass destruction. Disarmament adds the "not" or "do the opposite of" prefix dis- to armament, from a Latin root meaning "furnish with weapons."
Vocabulary lists containing disarmament
World War II
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Letter to Viceroy, Lord Irwin," Vocabulary from the argument
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
myPerspectives 10.3
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But “the United States knows our red lines in terms of nuclear disarmament, proxies, ballistic missile production,” the Israeli official said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
Verifying its full disarmament will be difficult, and some in the group have reportedly demanded they be allowed to keep personal weapons to defend themselves against enemies at home.
From BBC • Feb. 18, 2026
On Friday, the United States urged three-way talks with Russia and China to set new limits on nuclear weapons, but Beijing so far has rejected joining disarmament negotiations "at this stage."
From Barron's • Feb. 8, 2026
China’s envoy on disarmament, Shen Jian, told the U.N. body that his country “always exercises utmost prudence and responsibility on issues concerning nuclear weapons” but didn’t directly respond to DiNanno’s charge.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026
On October 14, Hitler had abruptly quit the League of Nations and discontinued Germany’s ongoing disarmament talks with France and her allies.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
