armament

/ˈɑːməmənt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɑːrməmənt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈär-mə-mənt also ˈärm-mənt/ (ame, mw)

armament — noun

1. the guns, missiles, tanks, and other fighting equipment that an army, navy, or a

1.名詞C1
釋義

the guns, missiles, tanks, and other fighting equipment that an army, navy, or air force uses, especially the heavier kinds carried on ships, aircraft, or vehicles.

例句

The destroyer carried armaments powerful enough to sink a submarine.

plural form for a ship's weapons set

Inspectors counted the armaments stored inside the bunker near the border.

plural countable: stored armaments

同義詞
  • weaponry

    very close in meaning; slightly more general and slightly less formal

  • arms

    broader; covers small personal weapons too, while 'armaments' usually means heavy gear

  • munitions

    narrower; focuses on bullets, shells, and explosives rather than the launching equipment

文法句型

armaments of [country/force]

heavy/nuclear armaments

用法筆記

Almost always plural in this sense. Refers to the physical hardware itself; distinguish from sense 2, which describes the activity of building up that hardware.

常見錯誤

❌The soldier cleaned his armament before patrol.
✅The soldier cleaned his rifle before patrol.
💡for a single personal weapon, use 'rifle / gun / weapon'; 'armament' implies a larger collection of military hardware.

2. the policy or activity by which a country builds up its supply of weapons, usual

2.名詞C1
釋義

the policy or activity by which a country builds up its supply of weapons, usually because its leaders expect or are preparing for a war.

例句

Years of secret armament left the small republic ready to fight by 1939.

uncountable: 'years of armament'

Critics accused the prime minister of pushing rapid armament instead of talks.

armament as a policy

同義詞
  • arming

    plainer everyday word for the same activity

  • militarization

    broader; includes building bases and shaping society for war, not just collecting weapons

  • rearmament

    specifically resuming armament after a period of cuts or peace

反義詞
  • disarmament

    the opposite policy: cutting back the supply of weapons

文法句型

armament of [country]

policy/programme of armament

用法筆記

Uncountable in this sense, in contrast with the plural-countable hardware sense. Often paired with 'rearmament' (resuming after a pause) or 'disarmament' (the opposite policy).

常見錯誤

❌The government announced two new armaments last week.
✅The government announced a new armament programme last week.
💡when meaning the act/policy of arming, treat 'armament' as uncountable; the countable plural means the hardware itself.