disarmament
Americannoun
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the act or an instance of disarming.
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the reduction or limitation of the size, equipment, armament, etc., of the army, navy, or air force of a country.
noun
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the reduction of offensive or defensive fighting capability, as by a nation
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the act of disarming or state of being disarmed
Other Word Forms
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
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"Letter to Viceroy, Lord Irwin," Vocabulary from the argument
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myPerspectives 10.3
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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.
He would argue on behalf of civil rights and nuclear disarmament, and all these other causes that he cared about.
From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2026
The official added that the United States “fully supports disarmament and transfer of arms to the central government.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
A forced disarmament by the government “will not happen,” he said in an interview in Baghdad.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
She said the topic would likely be on the agenda at the next UN disarmament meeting in November.
From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026
Killian’s rise at the White House coincided with the waning influence of Eisenhower’s former chief advisors on disarmament, Strauss and Harold Stassen.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
