militarism

noun

mil·​i·​ta·​rism ˈmi-lə-tə-ˌri-zəm How to pronounce militarism (audio)
1
a
: predominance of the military class or its ideals
b
: exaltation of military virtues and ideals
2
: a policy of aggressive military preparedness
militarist noun or adjective
militaristic adjective
militaristically adverb

Examples of militarism in a Sentence

The administration has been criticized for the militarism of its foreign policy.
Recent Examples on the Web Obama first distinguished himself as an opponent of US militarism in the Middle East but will be remembered for expanding the US drone war, the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden, and helping to overthrow the government of Libya. Joshua Keating, Vox, 6 Sep. 2024 Kennedy’s foreign policy positions offer a compelling alternative to the entrenched militarism that has dominated U.S. politics for decades. Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2024 Other modern political issues are mirrored by ye olde timey problems — the corruption of organized religion, unchecked militarism, the absurd failures of the health care system — and the plague itself is an obvious stand-in for Covid. Ky Henderson, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2024 The shock of the surprise attack and the brutality of Hamas’ actions unleashed a surge in militarism and illiberal sentiment. Michal Ben-Josef Hirsch, The Conversation, 24 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for militarism 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'militarism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1863, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of militarism was in 1863

Dictionary Entries Near militarism

Cite this Entry

“Militarism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/militarism. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

militarism

noun
mil·​i·​ta·​rism ˈmil-ə-tə-ˌriz-əm How to pronounce militarism (audio)
1
: control or rule by a military class
2
: extreme admiration and praise of military virtues and ideals
3
: a policy of aggressive military readiness
militarist noun
militaristic adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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