weaponize

American  

[wep-uh-nahyz] / ˈwɛp əˌnaɪz /

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.

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weaponize British  

/ ˈwɛpəˌnaɪz /

verb

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

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Other Word Forms

• weaponization noun

Etymology

Origin of weaponize

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

Explanation

To use something in order to deliberately inflict harm on people is to weaponize it. If you start pelting your brother with grapes, he might accuse you of weaponizing your fruit salad. When a group or government weaponizes something, they take an ordinary object and turn it into a weapon. This word was originally used during the Cold War as military jargon. When the U.S. Army added nuclear capabilities to rockets, preparing them for launching, they weaponized them. These days, it's common to describe everything from words to the internet as being weaponized — in fact, you can weaponize anything that can be used to attack someone else.

Example Sentences

They did not argue that Instagram or YouTube should be liable for what users posted, but rather that the platforms themselves, which weaponize infinite scroll, autoplay, and addictive feeds, are dangerous products.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026

“Especially if any of our trading partners decides to weaponize the dependency we have.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 2, 2026

Today, Venezuela lacks the ability to disrupt global energy flows or weaponize supply in the way larger producers can.

From Barron's • Jan. 3, 2026

To design, construct, weaponize, and deploy a much larger ship based on an entirely new concept would likely take a decade.

From Slate • Dec. 23, 2025

Even more concerning, when the nihilism of the darkest corners of the internet catches up to their psyches, “young people weaponize those grievances,” Newsom said — whether that anger turns inward or outward.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 17, 2025