Definition

Noun: 1. The act or process of equipping a country, military force, or group with new or more modern weapons and military equipment, typically after a period of disarmament or with the intention of increasing military strength.

Usage

• General Use: The term is most commonly used in political, historical, and military contexts to describe national policy.
• Grammatical Use: Functions as a non-count (uncountable) noun when referring to the general concept or process. It can be used as a count noun when referring to specific instances or programs (e.g., "a massive rearmament").
• Typical Constructions: It often follows verbs like "begin," "undertake," "support," or "oppose," and is modified by adjectives describing scale or nature (e.g., "rapid," "large-scale," "nuclear").

Examples

• The government's decision to pursue rearmament sparked a fierce debate about national security versus economic priorities.
• Historians cite the aggressive rearmament of the 1930s as a key factor leading to World War II.
• He opposed the rearmament of Japan after World War II.

Advanced Usage

• "An arms race": While related, an "arms race" specifically describes a competitive, reciprocal process of rearmament between two or more rival states.
• "Military buildup" or "arms buildup": These are broader synonyms that can include rearmament but also encompass the expansion of troop numbers and military infrastructure.

Variants and Related Words

• Rearm (verb): To provide with new or better weapons.
  • The treaty forbade the nation from attempting to rearm its forces.
• Disarmament (noun): The act of reducing or eliminating military forces and weapons. (Antonym)
• Armament (noun): Military weapons and equipment.

Synonyms

• Militarization
• Arms buildup
• Military buildup

Antonyms

• Disarmament
• Demilitarization

Noun

1. the act of arming again
   • he opposed the rearmament of Japan after World War II