weaponize

[wep-uh-nahyz]

verb (used with object)

weaponized, weaponizing 

1. to supply or equip with a weapon or weapons.

   to weaponize trucks and helicopters.

2. to develop (a chemical, microorganism, etc.) for use as a weapon, as in biological warfare.

   to weaponize uranium;

   weaponized anthrax.

3. to use as a means to gain a powerful advantage.

   She has been known to weaponize her femininity.

weaponize

/ ˈwɛpəˌnaɪz /

verb

1. to adapt (a chemical, bacillus, etc) in such a way that it can be used as a weapon

Other Word Forms

• weaponization noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of weaponize¹

First recorded in 1955–60; weapon ( def. ) + -ize ( def. )

Example Sentences

Faculty, staff, students and unions have pushed back, saying university leaders should have rejected government demands, moves many say weaponize antisemitism charges for ideological goals.

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“The MCO tax was never supposed to be weaponized in that process.”

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This includes preventing the re-establishment of terrorist infrastructure, ensuring that humanitarian aid isn’t weaponized, and supporting local governance that puts civilian welfare ahead of ideological warfare.

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A longtime cat lover—he lives with his wife and a half-dozen cats in a one-bedroom Manhattan apartment—Sliwa wants to weaponize the city’s feral felines.

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In a recent speech, SEC Chairman Paul Atkins criticized the previous approach of the SEC, which he said “weaponized” its enforcement powers to stifle the crypto industry.

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