militarism
Americannoun
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military spirit; pursuit of military ideals
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domination by the military in the formulation of policies, ideals, etc, esp on a political level
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a policy of maintaining a strong military organization in aggressive preparedness for war
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of militarism
1860–65; < French militarisme, equivalent to militar- (< Latin mīlitār ( is ) military ) + -isme -ism
Explanation
Places where armed government forces have a strong presence are usually under militarism. A system of militarism would probably buy weapons and outfit soldiers before anything else. Some countries govern through militarism to keep their territories under strong and often bullied rule and to let other countries know that they have guns and bombs and they're not afraid to use them — even on their own people. Militarism often is paired with other nouns like dictatorship showing the strict power of the leadership.
Vocabulary lists containing militarism
Fighting Words: Belli and Milit
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American History II
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World War I
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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.
China, a key ally of North Korea, has also recently expressed alarm at what it sees as "new militarism" by Japan.
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
Koizumi refuted the idea that Japan was engaged in "new militarism" saying it was "nothing further from the truth".
From BBC ● May 31, 2026
Hughes said that the United States has not yet had the reckoning with its history of militarism that he’s been pushing for for all these years.
From Salon ● May 25, 2026
Beijing’s apoplectic response to Takaichi’s perceived intervention in China’s affairs has included intense personal attacks on the new prime minister, often linking her with the militarism that fueled Japan’s brutal conduct in World War II.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 24, 2025
Wildly exaggerated accounts of German atrocities inflamed public opinion and bolstered support for a war that was increasingly seen as a crusade against barbaric German militarism.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
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.
