arsenal

noun ar·se·nal \ ˈärs-nəl , ˈär-sə- \

Updated on: 17 Apr 2018

1 a : an establishment for the manufacture or storage of arms and military equipment

The city is home to a federal arsenal.

b : a collection of weapons

2 : store, repertoire

the team's arsenal of veteran players

See arsenal defined for English-language learners

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Examples of arsenal in a Sentence

The city is home to a federal arsenal.
Doctors have a broad arsenal of medicines to choose from.
the team's arsenal of veteran players

Recent Examples of arsenal from the Web

Once a sub’s arsenal of detection equipment has found a favorable breaching point, the crew preps for its Arctic uppercut.

— david hambling, Popular Mechanics, "How the Navy Punches a Nuclear Sub Through Arctic Ice," 5 Apr. 2018
Ostensibly, there is now a consensus that such conduct disqualifies a person from a low-level Executive branch appointment — but not for unilateral command of the world’s largest nuclear arsenal.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump Can’t Decide If Pruitt Is Too Corrupt to Lead the EPA – Or Just Corrupt Enough to Be His Attorney General," 5 Apr. 2018
And true to form, for the past five years, she's been fighting with just about every tool in the oncology arsenal.

— CBS News, "Borrowed time: Reflecting on a life with cancer," 11 Mar. 2018
The state, after all, is the home of Walt Disney World and other tourist-friendly attractions, but is not generally thought to be a focal point for the country’s nuclear arsenal.

— chris morris, Fortune, "Why Russia Would Specifically Choose to Threaten Florida With a Nuclear Blast," 1 Mar. 2018
One of the great weapons in Oak Creek's arsenal is senior point guard Haley Zylka.

— jr radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Senior-heavy Oak Creek wears down West Allis Hale, major rematch looms with state berth on the line," 1 Mar. 2018
Comfortable, understatedly stylish, and affordable, the famous crepe-sole boots have become the go-to in many a man’s shoe arsenal.

— mike stefanov, Esquire, "The Upgraded Desert Boots You Can Wear for Years," 7 Feb. 2018
Knox's versatile offensive arsenal can take over and win games.

— fletcher page, The Courier-Journal, "Kentucky basketball stock watch: Signature moments? Yeah, the Wildcats have those," 2 Feb. 2018
Then in January, a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that an elderly Nevada woman had died of a bacterial infection that defied even the biggest guns in the infection-fighting arsenal.

— linda marsa, Discover Magazine, "The Clock Is Ticking on Superbugs," 24 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'arsenal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of arsenal

Italian arsenale, ultimately from Arabic dār ṣināʽa house of manufacture

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1555

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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arsenal Synonyms

Synonyms

armory, depot, dump, magazine;

Related Words

fort, fortress, stronghold;

repository, storehouse, warehouse;

Other Military Terms

bivouac, logistics, petard, salient, sally, supernumerary, tactical

ARSENAL Defined for English Language Learners

arsenal

noun

: a collection of weapons
: a place where weapons are made or stored
: a group of things or people that are available to be used

ARSENAL Defined for Kids

arsenal

noun ar·se·nal \ ˈärs-nəl , ˈär-sə- \

: a place where military equipment is made and stored

Learn More about arsenal

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for arsenal Spanish Central: Translation of arsenal Nglish: Translation of arsenal for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of arsenal for Arabic speakers

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Examples of arsenal in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of arsenal

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arsenal

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Origin and Etymology of arsenal

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