militarize

American  

[mil-i-tuh-rahyz] / ˈmɪl ɪ təˌraɪz /

especially British, militarise

verb (used with object)

militarized, militarizing

1. to equip with armed forces, military supplies, or the like.

2. to make military.

3. to imbue with militarism.

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militarize British  

/ ˈmɪlɪtəˌraɪz /

verb

1. to convert to military use

2. to imbue with militarism

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Other Word Forms

• militarization noun
• remilitarization noun
• remilitarize verb (used with object)
• unmilitarized adjective

Etymology

Origin of militarize

First recorded in 1875–80; militar(y) + -ize

Example Sentences

Greg Bovino, the Border Patrol commander who has led militarized immigration operations in Los Angeles and Chicago, is headed to Minneapolis with Border Patrol agents, the people said.

From The Wall Street Journal

These tableaus take place against the backdrop of an increasingly militarized vision of Christmas that permeates American pop culture.

From Salon

The story is rudimentary: Elongated blue cat people prepare for a gigantic battle with the nasty, militarized, heartless, corporation-backed human colonists, or “sky people.”

From The Wall Street Journal

There are fewer militarized checkpoints around the capital’s wealthier neighborhoods than in the past.

From The Wall Street Journal

The sleepy town is under a militarized quarantine.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• impel