militarize
verb
mil·i·ta·rize
ˈmi-lə-tə-ˌrīz 
militarized; militarizing
1
: to give a military character to
militarize a country's foreign policy
2
: to equip with military forces and defenses
The area is now fully militarized.
a militarized zone
3
: to adapt for military use
Examples of militarize in a Sentence
militarize a country's foreign policy
Recent Examples on the Web
Iran’s government, now more hard-line and militarized than ever, will remain in power.
—
Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2026
According to international humanitarian law, medical personnel and facilities should never be attacked or militarized.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
Both sides remain heavily militarized, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently reinforcing northern Cyprus with additional military assets amid concerns over the regional security situation.
—Elena Giuliano, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2026
The nearly absolute power afforded to his position—and which Ali Khamenei expanded and militarized over the course of his rule—gave the lie to such expectations and could easily do so again.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for militarize
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Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2026
According to international humanitarian law, medical personnel and facilities should never be attacked or militarized.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
Both sides remain heavily militarized, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently reinforcing northern Cyprus with additional military assets amid concerns over the regional security situation.
—Elena Giuliano, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2026
The nearly absolute power afforded to his position—and which Ali Khamenei expanded and militarized over the course of his rule—gave the lie to such expectations and could easily do so again.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for militarize
Cite this Entry
“Militarize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/militarize. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
militarize
verb
mil·i·ta·rize
ˈmil-ə-tə-ˌrīz
militarized; militarizing
1
: to equip with military forces and defenses
2
: to give a military character to
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