military-industrial complex

[mil-i-ter-ee-in-duhs-tree-uhl]

noun

1. a network of a nation's military force together with all of the industries that support it.

military-industrial complex

noun

1. (in the US) the combined interests of the military establishment and industries involved in producing military material considered as exerting influence on US foreign and economic policy

military-industrial complex

1. A general term for the cooperative relationship between the military and the industrial producers of military equipment and supplies in lobbying for increased spending on military programs.

In his farewell address, President Dwight Eisenhower warned that the growth of this relationship would increase the militarization of American society and endanger the principles of democracy.

Word History and Origins

Origin of military-industrial complex¹

First recorded in 1960–65