militarism

1 of 3

noun (1)

mil·​i·​ta·​rism ˈmi-lə-tə-ˌri-zəm How to pronounce militarism (audio)
Synonyms of militarism
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
ˈmi-lə-tə-rist How to pronounce militarism (audio)
noun or adjective
militaristic
ˌmi-lə-tə-ˈri-stik How to pronounce militarism (audio)
adjective
militaristically
ˌmi-lə-tə-ˈri-sti-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce militarism (audio)
adverb

militarist

2 of 3

noun (2)

mil·​i·​ta·​rist -rə̇st How to pronounce militarist (audio)
plural -s
1
archaic : an expert in military matters
2
: one imbued with militarism

militarist

3 of 3

adjective

"
: characterized by militarism
militarist faction
: dominated by military aims and ideals
militarist dictator
militaristic
¦milətə¦ristik How to pronounce militarist (audio)
-lətə¦-, 
-tēk
adjective
militaristically
-tə̇k(ə)lē How to pronounce militarist (audio)
-tēk-, 
-li
adverb

Examples of militarism in a Sentence

Noun (1) The administration has been criticized for the militarism of its foreign policy.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Yet for Asian countries that endured Japanese imperial rule and expansion, Yasukuni remains a symbol of Japan’s militarism. — ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026 Yet the defense industry’s disbursement of billions of dollars to lobby Congress and influence policy debates helps drive the United States’ mindless militarism. — Emma Ashford, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2026 The project foundered in 1954, when the French parliament, still haunted by German militarism, refused to ratify it. — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 His work is wrought with tension around the invigorating, often self-destructive relationship between the American man and militarism. — Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for militarism

Word History

Etymology

Noun (2)

militar(y) + -ist

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1863, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of militarism was in 1863

Phrases Containing militarism

Rhymes for militarism

See All Rhymes for militarism

Browse Nearby Words

militarise
militarism
militarist
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Militarism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/militarism. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

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
-rəst How to pronounce militarism (audio)
noun
militaristic
ˌmil-ə-tə-ˈris-tik How to pronounce militarism (audio)
adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of divulge

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All