ordnance

noun

ord·​nance ˈȯrd-nən(t)s 

1

a

: military supplies including weapons, ammunition, combat vehicles, and maintenance tools and equipment

… bombers dropped heavy concentrations of ordnance on every targeted airfield …

—Ron Dick

b

: a service of the army charged with the procuring, distributing, and safekeeping of ordnance

2

: cannon, artillery

Several pieces of ordnance bombarded the entrenched enemy.

Synonyms of ordnance

• guns
• weapons

Examples of ordnance in a Sentence

The company was outfitted with 50-millimeter ordnance.

the army is waiting for the heavy ordnance to be brought in

Recent Examples on the Web

By Thursday, Starshield operations were partially restored, but Ukrainian officials indicated there are still some issues for high-speed military ordnance. — Victoria Butenko, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026

Finding unexploded military ordnance in stockpiles of vintage belongings isn't unprecedented. — Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026

An explosion involving unexploded ordnance killed a student and injured 24 others during a school trip in northern Israel on Monday, officials said, as tensions continued across the Middle East. — Arkansas Online, 11 Oct. 2026

Alongside the firing, teams verified the safety and ordnance handling procedures supporting its use. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ordinaunce, from Anglo-French ordenance disposition, preparation, military provisions — more at ordinance

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

ordnance

noun

ord·​nance ˈȯrd-nən(t)s 

1

: military supplies

also : the branch of the army that obtains and gives out military supplies

2

: artillery sense 1