noun · 3 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
noun
Meaning 1
Military and industrial facilities situated in the same place.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: business, commerce, government, military, politics, war
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A nation's armed forces and industries (especially those supplying weapons and other materiel) collectively, regarded as a strong vested interest exerting great influence on the government.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: also, derogatory, often
Topics: business, commerce, government, military, politics, war
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: MIC, war machine
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
a country's military establishment and the industries that produce arms and other military equipment--Dwight David Eisenhower
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: vested interest
History
Etymology
From military (adjective) + industrial (adjective) + complex (noun), popularized by Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969), the 34th President of the United States, in his farewell address in 1961: see the quotation.
Across languages
Translations
31 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Finnish:
sotateollinen laitos
— military and industrial facilities situated in the same place
Arabic:
مَجْمَع صِنَاعِيّ عَسْكَرِيّ
(majmaʕ ṣināʕiyy ʕaskariyy)
— nation’s armed forces and industries collectively, regarded as a strong vested interest exerting great influence on the government
Armenian:
ռազմարդյունաբերական համալիր
(ṙazmardyunaberakan hamalir)
— nation’s armed forces and industries collectively, regarded as a strong vested interest exerting great influence on the government
Belarusian:
вае́нна-прамысло́вы ко́мплекс
(vajénna-pramyslóvy kómpljeks)
— nation’s armed forces and industries collectively, regarded as a strong vested interest exerting great influence on the government
Catalan:
complex militar-industrial
— nation’s armed forces and industries collectively, regarded as a strong vested interest exerting great influence on the government
Chinese Mandarin:
軍工複合體 /军工复合体
(jūngōng fùhétǐ)
— nation’s armed forces and industries collectively, regarded as a strong vested interest exerting great influence on the government
Czech:
vojensko-průmyslový komplex
— nation’s armed forces and industries collectively, regarded as a strong vested interest exerting great influence on the government
Dutch:
militair-industrieel complex
— nation’s armed forces and industries collectively, regarded as a strong vested interest exerting great influence on the government
Finnish:
sotateollinen kompleksi
— nation’s armed forces and industries collectively, regarded as a strong vested interest exerting great influence on the government
French:
complexe militaro-industriel
— nation’s armed forces and industries collectively, regarded as a strong vested interest exerting great influence on the government
Georgian:
სამხედრო-ინდუსტრიული კომპლექსი
(samxedro-indusṭriuli ḳomṗleksi)
— nation’s armed forces and industries collectively, regarded as a strong vested interest exerting great influence on the government
Georgian:
სამხედრო-სამრეწველო კომპლექსი
(samxedro-samrec̣velo ḳomṗleksi)
— nation’s armed forces and industries collectively, regarded as a strong vested interest exerting great influence on the government
German:
militärisch-industrieller Komplex
— nation’s armed forces and industries collectively, regarded as a strong vested interest exerting great influence on the government
Hungarian:
katonai-ipari komplexum
— nation’s armed forces and industries collectively, regarded as a strong vested interest exerting great influence on the government
Japanese:
軍産複合体
(gunsan fukugōtai)
— nation’s armed forces and industries collectively, regarded as a strong vested interest exerting great influence on the government
Kazakh:
әскери-өнеркәсіп кешені
(äskeri-önerkäsıp keşenı)
— nation’s armed forces and industries collectively, regarded as a strong vested interest exerting great influence on the government
Korean:
군산복합체
(gunsanbokhapche)
— nation’s armed forces and industries collectively, regarded as a strong vested interest exerting great influence on the government
Iranian Persian:
مُجْتَمَعِ نِظامی صَنْعَتی
(mojtama'-e nezâmi san'ati)
— nation’s armed forces and industries collectively, regarded as a strong vested interest exerting great influence on the government
Polish:
kompleks militarno-przemysłowy
— nation’s armed forces and industries collectively, regarded as a strong vested interest exerting great influence on the government
Polish:
kompleks wojskowo-przemysłowy
— nation’s armed forces and industries collectively, regarded as a strong vested interest exerting great influence on the government
Punjabi:
ਫੌਜੀ ਉਦਯੋਗਿਕ ਤੰਤਰ
(phaujī udayogik tantar)
— nation’s armed forces and industries collectively, regarded as a strong vested interest exerting great influence on the government
Romanian:
complex militar-industrial
— nation’s armed forces and industries collectively, regarded as a strong vested interest exerting great influence on the government
Russian:
вое́нно-промы́шленный ко́мплекс
(vojénno-promýšlennyj kómpleks)
— nation’s armed forces and industries collectively, regarded as a strong vested interest exerting great influence on the government
Russian:
ВПК
(VPK)
— nation’s armed forces and industries collectively, regarded as a strong vested interest exerting great influence on the government
Serbo-Croatian:
војно-индустријски комплекс
— nation’s armed forces and industries collectively, regarded as a strong vested interest exerting great influence on the government
Serbo-Croatian:
vojno-industrijski kompleks
— nation’s armed forces and industries collectively, regarded as a strong vested interest exerting great influence on the government
Spanish:
complejo militar industrial
— nation’s armed forces and industries collectively, regarded as a strong vested interest exerting great influence on the government
Ukrainian:
військо́во-промисло́вий ко́мплекс
(vijsʹkóvo-promyslóvyj kómpleks)
— nation’s armed forces and industries collectively, regarded as a strong vested interest exerting great influence on the government
Ukrainian:
воє́нно-промисло́вий ко́мплекс
(vojénno-promyslóvyj kómpleks)
— nation’s armed forces and industries collectively, regarded as a strong vested interest exerting great influence on the government
Vietnamese:
phức hợp quân sự-công nghiệp
— nation’s armed forces and industries collectively, regarded as a strong vested interest exerting great influence on the government
Vietnamese:
tổ hợp quân sự-công nghiệp
— nation’s armed forces and industries collectively, regarded as a strong vested interest exerting great influence on the government
