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

The program focused on building the skills needed to handle ordnance while following a much shorter timeline than the traditional nine-month qualification course. — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 18 July 2026

The aircraft can carry up to 29,500 lbs of ordnance, nearly double the older F-15 models and most of any United States military fighters, and it has already been certified and tested to carry heavy, oversized standoff munitions. — Peter Suciu, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

The fire encompassed portions of the Military Reserve in northeast Boise, an area that contains the unexploded ordnance. — Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 13 July 2026

One that has stayed with me was with American veteran Chuck Searcy, who returned to Vietnam decades after the war and now works with a nonprofit dedicated to locating and safely removing unexploded ordnance. — Susmita Baral, Travel + Leisure, 9 July 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