militarism

mil·i·ta·rism | \ ˈmi-lə-tə-ˌri-zəm

How to pronounce militarism (audio)

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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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Examples of militarism in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web The Ba’athists were a group of primarily secular Arab nationalists who opposed colonialism and promoted socialism, militarism and Arab unification. — Alejandro De La Garza, Time, "The True Story Behind the Netflix Series The Spy," 5 Sep. 2019 Sanders promises the most stubborn confrontation with this lunatic militarism on offer, and the best possibility that America might become a responsible member of the international community. — Ryan Cooper, TheWeek, "Bernie Sanders is America's best hope for a sane foreign policy," 7 Jan. 2020 An office wrestling match between two other security workers becomes a hilarious sendup of Israeli militarism, dripping with performative machismo. — Justin Chang, chicagotribune.com, "‘Synonyms’ at Gene Siskel Film Center: When in France, do as the Israeli commandos-turned-nude Parisian models do," 5 Dec. 2019 By 1989, intermittent uprisings throughout Warsaw Pact countries, the increasing militarism of Soviet governments across the region and slowing economic growth within the Eastern Bloc set the stage for revolution. — Time, "Czechoslovakia’s Velvet Revolution Started 30 Years Ago—But It Was Decades in the Making," 16 Nov. 2019 These included items like militarism, anti-Semitism, and imperialism, whose antecedent relationships to Nazism and/or Stalinism are fairly obvious. — Robert Zubrin, National Review, "The Real Robot Threat," 18 Sep. 2019 The expedition, filled with unapologetic militarism, inspired Fascism and Mussolini. — Jason Horowitz, New York Times, "New Statue Unsettles Italian City: Is It Celebrating a Poet or a Nationalist?," 16 Nov. 2019 Meanwhile, lack of scruple rules: Mr Goswami’s original backer, one of a new breed of Modi-supporting industrialists and a member of the upper house of parliament, profits through arms sales from the militarism Mr Goswami extols on air. — The Economist, "When India’s government abuses power, the media cheer," 22 Aug. 2019 Evidence showed that Fields, who drove alone to the rally from his apartment in Maumee, Ohio, had long been fascinated by Nazi Germany, espousing admiration for the militarism and racial purity doctrine of the Third Reich. — Washington Post, "Avowed neo-Nazi gets additional life prison term in Charlottesville car attack," 15 July 2019

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.

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Dictionary Entries near militarism

military academy

Statistics for militarism

Last Updated

3 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Militarism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/militaristic. Accessed 21 Feb. 2020.

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