armament

noun

ar·​ma·​ment ˈär-mə-mənt How to pronounce armament (audio)
 also  ˈärm-mənt
1
: a military or naval force
2
a
: the aggregate of a nation's military strength
b
3
: the process of preparing for war

Examples of armament in a Sentence

The country's armament will take years. a small nation that is determined to have adequate armaments
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Proposition 50 is California’s armament in a redistricting war that has stormed into at least three states and threatens to spread to others. Nicole Nixon, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2025 There are six different armaments that be unlocked, ranging from a staff, axe, and dual blades to explosive skulls and a straight up mini-mech suit. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025 The armaments each have a strength and weakness against certain blades. Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025 Now the RoCA seeks to adopt the more advanced M109A7, which retains the A6’s armament and cab structure while upgrading the chassis and drive systems on components common with the M2 Bradley fighting vehicle. Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 24 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for armament

Word History

Etymology

probably borrowed from French armement "action of arming, equipping of an armed force" (from armer "to arm entry 2" + -ment -ment), reshaped after Latin armāmenta (neuter plural) "sailing gear of a ship, equipment, implements," from armāre "to arm entry 2, equip" + -menta, plural of -mentum -ment

First Known Use

1632, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of armament was in 1632

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Cite this Entry

“Armament.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/armament. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

armament

noun
ar·​ma·​ment ˈär-mə-mənt How to pronounce armament (audio)
1
: the military strength and equipment of a nation
2
: a supply of war materials
3
: the process of preparing for war

More from Merriam-Webster on armament

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