Definition

Noun: - An agreement or transaction for the supply of military weapons and equipment: An "arms deal" is a formal arrangement, often between governments or between a government and a private company, involving the sale, transfer, or trade of military hardware such as weapons, ammunition, vehicles, and technology.

Usage

• This term is typically used in political, military, and journalistic contexts to describe international agreements or controversial transactions.
• It functions as a countable noun (e.g., , ).

Examples

Advanced Usage

• "to broker an arms deal": to arrange or negotiate an agreement for selling weapons.
  • The diplomat was accused of trying to broker an arms deal with the rebel group.
• "arms deal scandal": a situation where such a transaction causes public outrage due to illegality or ethical concerns.
  • The government was rocked by an arms deal scandal that led to multiple resignations.

Variants and Related Words

• Arms trade (n): The ongoing, large-scale business of buying and selling weapons, of which individual "arms deals" are a part.
• Arms transfer (n): A broader, often more formal term for the movement of weapons from one entity to another, which can be part of a deal.
• Weapons sale (n): A more general phrase that can be synonymous with an arms deal.

Synonyms

• Weapons deal: A direct synonym with identical meaning.
• Military sale: Emphasizes the commercial aspect of the transaction.
• Defense contract: Often implies a legal agreement with a defense contractor, which can be a type of arms deal.

Related Phrases

• Arms embargo (n): An official ban on trading weapons with a particular country, which is the opposite of an arms deal.
• Arms proliferation (n): The spread of weapons, which can be a consequence of multiple arms deals.

Noun

1. a deal to provide military arms