Phrase guide

if you want peace, prepare for war

proverb · 1 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

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1

proverb

Meaning 1

Visibly preparing for a fight can deter one's enemies from opening hostilities, by not giving the appearance of an easy target.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Calque of Latin sī vīs pācem, parā bellum, an adage adapted from a statement found in 4th century AD Roman author Vegetius's tract De re militari, in which the actual phrasing is igitur quī dēsīderat pācem, praeparet bellum (“therefore let him who desires peace prepare for war”).

Across languages

Translations

8 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: jos haluat rauhaa, valmistaudu sotaan — Translations
  • French: si tu veux la paix prépare la guerre — Translations
  • Georgian: თუ გსურს მშვიდობა, ემზადე ომისთვის (tu gsurs mšvidoba, emzade omistvis) — Translations
  • German: wenn du Frieden willst, rüste zum Krieg — Translations
  • Latin: sī vīs pācem, parā bellum — Translations
  • Polish: jeśli chcesz pokoju, przygotuj się do wojny — Translations
  • Russian: хо́чешь ми́ра, гото́вься к войне́ (xóčešʹ míra, gotóvʹsja k vojné) — Translations
  • Spanish: si quieres la paz prepara la guerra — Translations