verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/diːˈməʊbɪlaɪz/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:D IH0 M OW1 B AH0 L AY2 Z
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To release someone from military duty, especially after a war.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: British, English, Oxford, US, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To disband troops, or remove them from a war footing.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: British, English, Oxford, US, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
retire from military service
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: demobilise, demob
Antonyms: mobilize
Broader terms: discharge, muster out
4
verb
Meaning 4
release from military service or remove from the active list of military service
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: inactivate, demobilise
Antonyms: mobilize
Broader terms: discharge, muster out
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *de Proto-Indo-European *-h1 Proto-Indo-European *déh1 Proto-Italic *dē Latin dē Latin dē-der. English de- English mobilize English demobilize From de- + mobilize.
Across languages
Translations
34 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Belarusian:
дэмабілізава́ць
(demabilizavácʹ)
— to release someone from military duty
Bulgarian:
демобилизирам
(demobiliziram)
— to release someone from military duty
Catalan:
desmobilitzar
— to release someone from military duty
Chinese Mandarin:
復員 /复员
(fùyuán)
— to release someone from military duty
Danish:
demobilisere
— to release someone from military duty
Finnish:
kotiuttaa
— to release someone from military duty
French:
démobilier
— to release someone from military duty
Galician:
desmobilizar
— to release someone from military duty
German:
demobilisieren
— to release someone from military duty
Ido:
desmobilizar
— to release someone from military duty
Italian:
smobilitare
— to release someone from military duty
Norwegian Bokmål:
dimittere
— to release someone from military duty
Portuguese:
desmobilizar
— to release someone from military duty
Russian:
демобилизо́вывать
(demobilizóvyvatʹ)
— to release someone from military duty
Russian:
демобилизова́ть
(demobilizovátʹ)
— to release someone from military duty
Slovak:
demobilizovať
— to release someone from military duty
Spanish:
desmovilizar
— to release someone from military duty
Ukrainian:
демобілізува́ти
(demobilizuváty)
— to release someone from military duty
Vietnamese:
giải ngũ
— to release someone from military duty
Vietnamese:
xuất ngũ
— to release someone from military duty
Bulgarian:
разпускам
(razpuskam)
— to disband troops
Danish:
demobilisere
— to disband troops
Finnish:
kotiuttaa
— to disband troops
Galician:
desmobilizar
— to disband troops
German:
demobilisieren
— to disband troops
Ido:
desmobilizar
— to disband troops
Italian:
smobilitare
— to disband troops
Norwegian Bokmål:
dimittere
— to disband troops
Portuguese:
desmobilizar
— to disband troops
Russian:
распуска́ть
(raspuskátʹ)
— to disband troops
Russian:
распусти́ть
(raspustítʹ)
— to disband troops
