demilitarize
verb
de·mil·i·ta·rize
(ˌ)dē-ˈmi-lə-tə-ˌrīz 
di-
demilitarized; demilitarizing; demilitarizes
1
a
: to do away with the military organization or potential of
b
: to prohibit (something, such as a zone or frontier area) from being used for military purposes
2
: to rid of military characteristics or uses
Examples of demilitarize in a Sentence
the two nations agreed to demilitarize themselves reciprocally in hopes of avoiding war
Recent Examples on the Web
At the end of the war, Hamas should be totally disarmed and the Gaza Strip should be demilitarized, so that Palestinian civilians could live dignified lives within the Gaza Strip, and Israeli civilians could live without fear alongside the Gaza Strip.
—
TIME, 16 Oct. 2023
Israelis across the political spectrum now believe that Hamas must be destroyed as a military power and that Gaza must be demilitarized.
—Dennis Ross, Foreign Affairs, 11 Oct. 2023
The head of Russia’s mercenary Wagner Group, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, said Moscow’s plan to demilitarize Ukraine is not working.
—Alex Horton, Washington Post, 24 May 2023
But in a surprising about-face, shortly after assuming office, López Obrador started to backtrack on his vow to demilitarize the country.
—Denise Dresser, Foreign Affairs, 21 Oct. 2022
But Breda, the expert, said the move is inching the country away from policies such as stamping out corruption, demilitarizing and community policing that could make a longterm difference in addressing the roots causes of gang violence.
—Time, 19 July 2023
On the home front, the state council would begin to demilitarize Russia, reducing the size of the armed forces and by extension the cost of their maintenance.
—Garry Kasparov, Foreign Affairs, 20 Jan. 2023
Look, all Ukraine should be demilitarized from Russian military.
—CBS News, 9 July 2023
Negotiations to demilitarize the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which the Kremlin’s forces captured last year at the start of the full-scale invasion, are at an impasse.
—Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2023
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TIME, 16 Oct. 2023
Israelis across the political spectrum now believe that Hamas must be destroyed as a military power and that Gaza must be demilitarized.
—Dennis Ross, Foreign Affairs, 11 Oct. 2023
The head of Russia’s mercenary Wagner Group, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, said Moscow’s plan to demilitarize Ukraine is not working.
—Alex Horton, Washington Post, 24 May 2023
But in a surprising about-face, shortly after assuming office, López Obrador started to backtrack on his vow to demilitarize the country.
—Denise Dresser, Foreign Affairs, 21 Oct. 2022
But Breda, the expert, said the move is inching the country away from policies such as stamping out corruption, demilitarizing and community policing that could make a longterm difference in addressing the roots causes of gang violence.
—Time, 19 July 2023
On the home front, the state council would begin to demilitarize Russia, reducing the size of the armed forces and by extension the cost of their maintenance.
—Garry Kasparov, Foreign Affairs, 20 Jan. 2023
Look, all Ukraine should be demilitarized from Russian military.
—CBS News, 9 July 2023
Negotiations to demilitarize the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which the Kremlin’s forces captured last year at the start of the full-scale invasion, are at an impasse.
—Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'demilitarize.' 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
1883, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Dictionary Entries Near demilitarize
Cite this Entry
“Demilitarize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demilitarize. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
demilitarize
verb
de·mil·i·ta·rize
(ˈ)dē-ˈmil-ə-tə-ˌrīz
: to strip of military forces, weapons, or fortification
a demilitarized zone
demilitarization
noun
(ˌ)dē-ˌmil-ə-tə-rə-ˈzā-shən
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