weaponization

American  

[wep-uhn-ahyz-ay-shuhn] / ˌwɛp ənˌaɪzˈeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of using something as a weapon to gain advantage over an enemy or rival.

2. the act of equipping something, such as a vehicle, system, or country, with a weapon or weapons.

3. the act of developing something, such as a chemical or microorganism, expressly for use as a weapon of war.

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Example Sentences

The real innovation of the past decade has been in engagement optimization, algorithmic content distribution and the weaponization of human psychology to generate advertising revenue.

From Salon

"We do close accounts because they create legal or regulatory risk for the company. We regret having to do so but often rules and regulatory expectations lead us to do so," said the bank, adding that it favors reform to "prevent the weaponization of the banking sector."

From Barron's

“We have been asking both this Administration and prior administrations to change the rules and regulations that put us in this position, and we support the Administration’s efforts to prevent the weaponization of the banking sector,” JPMorgan’s statement said.

From Barron's

“The future of the internet,” Mr. Subramanian concludes, “will entail the weaponization of its submarine cable systems.”

From The Wall Street Journal

In a speech to bankers Friday, Lagarde also highlighted Europe’s vulnerability to the “weaponization” of key raw materials and technologies.

From The Wall Street Journal