nondefense

American

[nahn-di-fens, nahn-dee-fens] / ˌnɑn dɪˈfɛns, ˌnɑnˈdi fɛns /

adjective

not related to or involved in the military defense of a country or its armed forces.

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.

You may have seen news coverage of the budget’s top lines, which call for $1.5 trillion in defense spending next year and cuts totaling $73 billion in nondefense spending.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

The bottom line shows total nondefense discretionary spending falling from $733.5 billion in fiscal year 2026 to a request for $660.1 billion for fiscal year 2027.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

“The decrease in government spending reflected a decrease in federal government spending. Both nondefense and defense consumption expenditures for employee compensation declined,” the BEA said in a technical note in Friday’s release.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

More striking: Fiscal 2026 nondefense discretionary spending should come in about $18 billion less than 2025 levels, with overall discretionary about $1 billion less.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026

It must practice rigid economy in its nondefense activities.

From State of the Union Address by Truman, Harry S.

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