militarize

American

[mil-i-tuh-rahyz] / ˈmɪl ɪ təˌraɪz /

especially British, militarise

verb (used with object)

militarized, militarizing

to equip with armed forces, military supplies, or the like.
to make military.
to imbue with militarism.

militarize British

/ ˈmɪlɪtəˌraɪz /

verb

to convert to military use
to imbue with militarism

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“I hope they don’t militarize it,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 4, 2024

We should also be wary of governments pushing to militarize AI.

From Scientific American • Jul. 27, 2023

“We’re not trying to militarize the church,” Marsh said.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 17, 2022

We do not need to militarize our response to protests.

From Salon • Jun. 6, 2020

You can make a soldier, and a good soldier, of a humorist; but you cannot militarize him.

From England and the War by Raleigh, Walter Alexander, Sir

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023