antipersonnel

adjective

an·​ti·​per·​son·​nel
ˌan-tē-ˌpər-sə-ˈnel,
ˌan-ˌtī- How to pronounce antipersonnel (audio)
: designed for use against military personnel
an antipersonnel mine

Examples of antipersonnel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web States could choose to ban antipersonnel autonomous weapons before their use becomes widespread. Paul Scharre, Foreign Affairs, 29 Feb. 2024 The report Tuesday reversed the organization’s earlier findings that Ukraine had not used antipersonnel land mines. David L. Stern, Washington Post, 31 Jan. 2023 The move effectively returns to a 2014 policy established by the Obama administration that forbade the use of antipersonnel land mines except in defense of South Korea. New York Times, 21 June 2022 The use of both antipersonnel landmines and cluster munitions are banned under international humanitarian law, yet they are still being used in conflicts today, particularly in Ukraine. Alexandra Grossi, Forbes, 1 June 2022 The incendiary rocket was specifically designed as an antipersonnel weapon. David Hambling, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2022 Nestled nearby, unseen by them, was an antipersonnel device, a deadly tactic targeting anyone trying to defuse the larger explosive. New York Times, 16 Mar. 2022 Some submunitions are designed to be antipersonnel, while others are antivehicle. Taylor Umlauf, WSJ, 11 Mar. 2022 Emergency promoted a campaign that led to a ban on the production of antipersonnel land mines in Italy. New York Times, 20 Aug. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'antipersonnel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1941, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of antipersonnel was in 1941

Dictionary Entries Near antipersonnel

Cite this Entry

“Antipersonnel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antipersonnel. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.

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