militarize

play

verb mil·i·ta·rize \ ˈmi-lə-tə-ˌrīz \

Definition of militarize

militarized; militarizing

transitive verb

1 :to give a military character to

2 :to equip with military forces and defenses

3 :to adapt for military use

—

militarization

play \ˌmi-lə-t(ə-)rə-ˈzā-shən\ noun

See militarize defined for English-language learners

See militarize defined for kids

Examples of militarize in a Sentence

militarize a country's foreign policy

Recent Examples of militarize from the Web

Still militarizing islands in S. China Sea; refuses to help w/N. Korea.

— bruce feirstein, The Hive, "President Donald J. Trump’s Agenda Items and Threat Matrix, Ranked," 17 Aug. 2017
Still militarizing islands in S. China Sea; refuses to help w/N. Korea.

— bruce feirstein, vanityfair.com, "President Donald J. Trump’s Agenda Items and Threat Matrix, Ranked," 8 Aug. 2017
In recent years, China has invested heavily in building and militarizing artificial islands in the South China Sea.

— katie hunt, CNN, "Beijing criticizes Indonesia renaming part of South China Sea," 15 July 2017
Sustained unrest has left more than 70 people dead, mobilized crowds of thousands daily and militarized the country under the National Guard, resulting in even more instability than before.

— nicholas casey and ana vanessa herrero, New York Times, "After Helicopter Attack, Venezuelans Ask, What Was That About?," 28 June 2017
SYDNEY—Secretary of State Rex Tillerson forcefully called on China to stop militarizing islands in the South China Sea, to pressure North Korea and broadly to assume a more responsible role in Asia-Pacific stability.

— rob taylor, WSJ, "Top U.S. Diplomat Urges China to Act on North Korea," 5 June 2017
In recent years, China has built and militarized manmade islands in the South China Sea.

— jeanette steele, sandiegouniontribune.com, "China invited back to U.S-led Pacific Rim exercises, despite islands dispute," 30 May 2017
This horrific violence requires us to reflect deeply on root causes, and is not an excuse to further militarize our communities.

— elliot njus, OregonLive.com, "Police identify victims of stabbing on MAX train," 26 May 2017
And Act Two: Pepe le Pew-Pew-Pew. New York’s reptiles have militarized.

— riane konc, The New Yorker, "“This American Carnage”," 26 Jan. 2017

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

First Known Use of militarize

1856

MILITARIZE Defined for English Language Learners

militarize

play

verb

Definition of militarize for English Language Learners

: to put weapons and military forces in (an area)
: to give a military quality or character to (something)

Learn More about militarize

Britannica English: Translation of militarize for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up militarize? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

militarize

Definition of militarize

militarization

Examples of militarize in a Sentence

Recent Examples of militarize from the Web

First Known Use of militarize

MILITARIZE Defined for English Language Learners

militarize

Definition of militarize for English Language Learners

Learn More about militarize

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

broadside

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

How 'Premises' Came to Mean 'Property'

10 Uncommon Words for 'Drunkard'

'Meat Sweats': The Cookout's Worst Nightmare

'Diffuse' vs. 'Defuse'

Ask the Editors

Words of the Year: 1066

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Irregardless

Weird Plurals

Word Games

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

True or False?

Bee Cubed

How 'Premises' Came to Mean 'Property'

10 Uncommon Words for 'Drunkard'

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066

militarize

Definition of militarize

militarization

Indulge Your Inner Word Nerd

Examples of militarize in a Sentence

Recent Examples of militarize from the Web

First Known Use of militarize

MILITARIZE Defined for English Language Learners

militarize

Definition of militarize for English Language Learners

Learn More about militarize

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

How 'Premises' Came to Mean 'Property'

10 Uncommon Words for 'Drunkard'

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066