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
- 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
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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.
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
The pact, brokered by the U.S. and France, required the creation of a buffer zone south of Lebanon’s Litani River and Hezbollah’s disarmament.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 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
The Gaza ceasefire's second phase also foresees a demilitarisation of the territory -- including the disarmament of Hamas -- along with a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces.
From Barron's • Feb. 9, 2026
Eisenhower soon launched an initiative to do that “something,” appointing Harold Stassen as his special assistant for disarmament in March 1955.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
