militarism

noun

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mil·i·ta·rism | \ ˈmi-lə-tə-ˌri-zəm

Definition of militarism

1a : predominance of the military class or its ideals

b : exaltation of military virtues and ideals

2 : a policy of aggressive military preparedness

Other Words from militarism Example Sentences Learn More About militarism

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Other Words from militarism

militarist \ ˈmi-lə-tə-rist

\ noun or adjective

militaristic \ ˌmi-lə-tə-ˈri-stik

\ adjective

militaristically \ ˌmi-lə-tə-ˈri-sti-k(ə-)lē

\ adverb

Examples of militarism in a Sentence

The administration has been criticized for the militarism of its foreign policy.

Recent Examples on the Web Now almost pacifist after its history of militarism, Germany has stayed out of most of the recent wars that have proved punishing and inconclusive for other Western countries. — Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2021 While Trump’s affection for Russian leader Vladimir Putin and erratic outreach to North Korea have no parallel in U.S. history, his xenophobia and militarism are classically Jacksonian. — Jordan Michael Smith, The New Republic, 23 Aug. 2021 Researchers have found that two particularly humorless ideologies are religious fundamentalism and militarism. — Arthur C. Brooks, The Atlantic, 12 Aug. 2021 Nazism and varieties of fascism emphasize militarism and exalt the state; communism emphasizes economics and exalts the working class — though not in practice. — Arthur I. Cyr, chicagotribune.com, 8 July 2021 In the 20th century, America led the world, defeating fascism, militarism, and communism. — Yukong Zhao, National Review, 11 July 2021 In 2020, a bipartisan group of senators and Admiral Davidson established a new fund for militarism in the Asia-Pacific, the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, or PDI. — Nina Luo, The New Republic, 20 May 2021 The demonstration, which welcomed about 100 supporters, emphasized rights for LGBTQ people, racial justice, less funding for militarism and more funding to fight AIDS. — Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 24 June 2021 The last time Tokyo hosted, in 1964, many credited the Games for resetting perceptions of Japan from its militarism and defeat in World War II to a rising, modern economic force. — Hanako Lowry, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2021

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