militarization
Americannoun
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the act or process of equipping with military personnel, weapons, or resources.
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the act or process of making something serve a military function or of imbuing it with militarism.
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."
Vocabulary lists containing militarization
Fighting Words: Belli and Milit
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bel and milit
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bel and milit
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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.
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
“The accumulation of them is what’s problematic and clearly what’s led MSF to say when you look at them as a whole, we are having here a militarization of parts of this hospital,” she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 15, 2026
“We need to recognize that if you invest in communities, they will be healthy, they will be strong, and we won’t have a need for the militarization of police,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 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
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.
