munition
Americannoun
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Usually munitions. materials used in war, especially weapons and ammunition.
-
material or equipment for carrying on any undertaking.
verb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of munition
1525–35; < Latin mūnītiōn- (stem of mūnītiō ) a fortifying, equivalent to mūnīt ( us ) fortified ( see munite) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
Munitions are a collection of weapons and any equipment that goes with them. An army's cache of guns and bullets are its munitions. You'll usually see the noun munitions in its plural form, since it refers to arms and ammunition collectively, as a group. The word comes up mostly in discussions of wars and battles and the military. A munitions factory is the place where these supplies are made, and a munitions worker is someone who labors there. As a verb, munition means "to supply with weapons." The Latin root is munitionem, "a defending or protecting."
Vocabulary lists containing munition
World War I
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"Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began" by Art Spiegelman
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Prisoner B-3087
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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.
The munition maker's shares have nevertheless fallen about 40 percent since a peak last October.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
“I couldn’t even hazard a guess to put those guys head to head. We’re more making sure that current adversary-level defense”—meaning China—“isn’t prepared to deal with such an adaptable munition set.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026
This accounting method can lead to vast undercounts when a rapidly consumed munition will be replaced by a much more expensive variant.
From MarketWatch ● May 28, 2026
"The munition depicted in the video appears to be twice as long, consistent with the dimensions and silhouette of an Iranian Hoveyzeh cruise missile," Capt Hawkins said.
From BBC ● Apr. 3, 2026
She even induced Winston to mortgage yet another of his evenings by enrolling himself for the part-time munition work which was done voluntarily by zealous Party members.
From "1984" by George Orwell
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.
