Standard Lemma guide

militarize

verb · 5 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.

  • /ˈmɪ.lɪ.tə.ɹaɪz/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: M IH1 L AH0 T ER0 AY2 Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To give a military character to something, such as government or organization.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To train or equip for war.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To adopt for use by the military.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

adopt for military use

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • militarize the Civil Service

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: militarise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change, alter, modify

5

verb

Meaning 5

lend a military character to (a country), as by building up a military force

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • militarize Germany again after the war

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: militarise

Antonyms: demilitarize

Broader terms: change, alter, modify

Narrower terms: mobilize, mobilise, remilitarize, remilitarise

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English military Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)bor. Late Latin -izōder. Middle French -iserbor. Middle English -isen English -ize English militarize From military + -ize.

Across languages

Translations

42 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: мілітарызава́ць (militaryzavácʹ) — to give military character to
  • Bulgarian: милитаризи́рам (militarizíram) — to give military character to
  • Chinese Mandarin: 軍事化 /军事化 (jūnshìhuà) — to give military character to
  • Finnish: militarisoida — to give military character to
  • French: militariser — to give military character to
  • German: militarisieren — to give military character to
  • Hungarian: militarizál — to give military character to
  • Hungarian: katonásít — to give military character to
  • Japanese: 軍事化する (gunjika suru) — to give military character to
  • Korean: 군사화하다 (gunsahwahada) — to give military character to
  • Macedonian: милитаризи́ра (militarizíra) — to give military character to
  • Polish: militaryzować — to give military character to
  • Russian: милитаризи́ровать (militarizírovatʹ) — to give military character to
  • Russian: милитаризова́ть (militarizovátʹ) — to give military character to
  • Russian: военизи́ровать (vojenizírovatʹ) — to give military character to
  • Spanish: militarizar — to give military character to
  • Swedish: militarisera — to give military character to
  • Ukrainian: мілітаризува́ти (militaryzuváty) — to give military character to
  • Belarusian: мілітарызаваць (militaryzavacʹ) — to train or equip for war
  • Catalan: militaritzar — to train or equip for war
  • Chinese Mandarin: 軍事化 /军事化 (jūnshìhuà) — to train or equip for war
  • Esperanto: pormilitigi — to train or equip for war
  • Finnish: harjoittaa sotaan — to train or equip for war
  • Finnish: varustaa sotaan — to train or equip for war
  • French: militariser — to train or equip for war
  • Galician: militarizar — to train or equip for war
  • German: militarisieren — to train or equip for war
  • Hungarian: felfegyverez — to train or equip for war
  • Hungarian: kiképez — to train or equip for war
  • Italian: militarizzare — to train or equip for war
  • Japanese: 軍事化する (gunjika suru) — to train or equip for war
  • Polish: zbroić — to train or equip for war
  • Romanian: militariza — to train or equip for war
  • Russian: милитаризи́ровать (militarizírovatʹ) — to train or equip for war
  • Russian: милитаризова́ть (militarizovátʹ) — to train or equip for war
  • Russian: военизи́ровать (vojenizírovatʹ) — to train or equip for war
  • Spanish: militarizar — to train or equip for war
  • Ukrainian: мілітаризувати (militaryzuvaty) — to train or equip for war
  • Chinese Mandarin: 軍事化 /军事化 (jūnshìhuà) — adopt for use by the military
  • Finnish: ottaa sotilaskäyttöön — adopt for use by the military
  • Hungarian: militarizál — adopt for use by the military
  • Hungarian: katonásít — adopt for use by the military