militarize

[ mil-i-tuh-rahyz ]

verb (used with object)

, mil·i·ta·rized, mil·i·ta·riz·ing.

1. to equip with armed forces, military supplies, or the like.
2. to make military.
3. to imbue with militarism.

militarize

/ ˈmɪlɪtəˌraɪz /

verb

1. to convert to military use
2. to imbue with militarism

Derived Forms

• ˌmilitariˈzation, noun

Other Words From

• mili·ta·ri·zation noun
• remil·i·ta·ri·zation noun
• re·mili·ta·rize verb (used with object) remilitarized remilitarizing
• un·mili·ta·rized adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of militarize¹

First recorded in 1875–80; militar(y) + -ize

Example Sentences

He’s the conflicted architect of a militarized theocracy that took root in America after a second civil war where the Constitution did not prevail.

From Los Angeles Times

If elected, he also promised a militarized campaign of deportation that would entail arresting and detaining millions of people in internment camps.

From Salon

Social theorist Henry Giroux explains that "Trump’s invocation of 'The Purge' marks a chilling embrace of militarized, fascist rhetoric that treats politics as all-out war, with no regard for legality, morality, or humanity":

From Salon

It’s the public justification of a militarized policy that has been pushed into Latin America from the Global North, and it has resulted in bloodshed affecting the most impoverished and disenfranchised and vulnerable sectors.

From Los Angeles Times

A militarized police crackdown followed and hundreds of "water protectors" were arrested.

From Salon

Related Words

• impel