garrison state

noun

1. a state in which military matters dominate economic and political life.

Word History and Origins

Origin of garrison state¹

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

As for Ukraine, it would have to become a garrison state even as its economy has been crippled by the war.

From Seattle Times

He maintains that “the Global War on Terror” aimed not only to track down terrorists worldwide but also to protect American democracy and prevent the nation’s transformation into an authoritarian garrison state.

From Washington Post

One of the most persuasive and applicable arguments Eisenhower made against the rising power and influence of the military-industrial complex is that resources are finite, and the development of a garrison state will inevitably diminish the social welfare state.

From Salon

“Most of this country is invested in perpetuating the nervous cease-fire of de facto segregation, with its ‘garrison state’ of occupied ghettos that are carefully kept out of sight and mind.”

From Salon

That opens up all kinds of possibilities — that North Korea will no longer be a besieged garrison state but move on a more normal trajectory as an East Asian country.”

From Washington Post

Related Words

• authoritarianism
• autocracy
• totalitarianism
• tyranny