armament

noun

ar·​ma·​ment ˈär-mə-mənt 

 also  ˈärm-mənt

1

: a military or naval force

2

a

: the aggregate of a nation's military strength

b

: weapons, arms

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

Mark Walker, Boca Raton At last check, the U.S. gives Israel $3.3 billion annually in military aid, $500 million for missile detection systems and grants for other military armaments. —Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 June 2025

Additional military attacks Iran is believed to have about half of its original stock of roughly 3,000 ballistic missiles after exchanging fire with Israel over the past two weeks, armaments that can be used against 19 sites across the Middle East, where U.S. forces are located. —Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 24 June 2025

The ritualized display of armaments and troops is more routine in places like Russia, China and North Korea, where strongmen show their force to their own citizens and the world. —Susan Page, USA Today, 11 June 2025

The new pair offers an almost startling armament of microphones and noise-cancellation tech, along with improved sound, style, and features. —Ryan Waniata, Wired News, 10 June 2025

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

Rhymes for armament

• disarmament
• rearmament

Kids Definition

armament

noun

ar·​ma·​ment ˈär-mə-mənt 

1

: the military strength and equipment of a nation

2

: a supply of war materials

3

: the process of preparing for war