militarization

American  

[mil-i-tuh-rahyz-ay-shuhn, -ruhz-ay-shuhn] / ˌmɪl ɪ təˌraɪzˈeɪ ʃən, -rəzˈeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of equipping with military personnel, weapons, or resources.

2. the act or process of making something serve a military function or of imbuing it with militarism.

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Explanation

The process of becoming ready for conflict or war is militarization. Sometimes militarization refers to making a civilian organization resemble the armed forces—with uniforms or weapons, for example. When a country prepares itself for war, that's militarization. And when military resources are sent somewhere—to the site of a natural disaster or a political demonstration, for example—that's also militarization. A more systemic kind of militarization happens when a city's police force acquires military-grade weapons and uniforms, or uses military tactics instead of traditional community policing methods. The Latin root of militarization is militaris, "of soldiers or war."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

militarization

During the mid-14th century, Islamic piracy expanded along the Valencian coastline, while increasing militarization created growing demand for protective equipment and weapons.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 8, 2026

The White House said Xi had "made clear China's opposition to the militarization of the Strait".

From BBC ● May 14, 2026

She said while isolated incidents involving armed individuals might not constitute militarization of a facility, it was the pattern of incidents that threatened the facility’s status.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 15, 2026

And what we see now, and see the beginnings of in “Power,” is how that militarization has grown and evolved over the last 50 or 60 years.

From Salon ● May 18, 2024

The defense minister, General Magnus Malan, backed by P. W. Botha, introduced a policy known as “total on-slaught,” which was a militarization of the country to combat the liberation struggle.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

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