armament

noun

ar·​ma·​ment ˈär-mə-mənt How to pronounce armament (audio)
also ˈärm-mənt
Synonyms of armamentnext
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.
Jessica joined the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln, working on the missiles and armaments of the massive aircraft carrier. Norma Galeana, CNN Money, 19 Mar. 2026 The visit to the pistol factory followed an inspection Tuesday in which Kim and his daughter watched the test launch of what state media described as nuclear-capable cruise missiles from a naval destroyer as Kim called for speeding up the nuclear armament of his navy. CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026 The visit to the pistol factory followed an inspection Tuesday in which Kim and his daughter watched the test launch of what state media described as nuclear-capable cruise missiles from a naval destroyer as Kim called for speeding up the nuclear armament of his navy. ABC News, 11 Mar. 2026 The new armament features a Kinsect that harvest extract as players attack. Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Armament.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/armament. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster