Synonyms

military-industrial complex

American

[mil-i-ter-ee-in-duhs-tree-uhl] / ˈmɪl ɪˌtɛr i ɪnˈdʌs tri əl /

noun

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

military-industrial complex British

noun

(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

"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

military-industrial complex Cultural

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.

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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.

Etymology

Origin of military-industrial complex

First recorded in 1960–65

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.

See Examples For:

military-industrial complex

We have perfected the military-industrial complex in a way that no other nation in history has.

From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026

In its review the New Yorker wrote the book's central claim was that "the survival of the American experiment depends on the technological revitalization of the military-industrial complex".

From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2026

"We will continue to take swift action to deprive those who enable Iran's military-industrial complex access to the US financial system," he added in a statement.

From Barron's ● Dec. 30, 2025

Over the weekend, the Kremlin announced the appointment of a new defense minister — an economist, Andrei Belousov, who will be tasked with harnessing the power of Russia’s military-industrial complex to sustain the fight.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 14, 2024

President Dwight Eisenhower, in his farewell speech in January 1961, railed against the United States’ growing military-industrial complex.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

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