weaponry
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /wˈɛpənri/
US
- /ˈwɛpənri/
Description
- arms
- tools of war
- offensive equipment
- combat gear
Weaponry refers to weapons as a group, especially those used in war or combat. It can mean anything from swords, bows, and rifles to tanks, missiles, and other military equipment. The word usually points to the tools of fighting rather than a single item. In some contexts, people also use it in a figurative way for things used to attack, pressure, or gain an advantage, but its main meaning stays close to actual weapons. Over time, weaponry has changed from simple hand-held arms to highly advanced modern systems.
Weaponry refers to the full set of weapons used by a person, group, or nation. It usually brings to mind military equipment such as guns, bombs, missiles, tanks, and other tools made for attack or defense. Rather than naming one weapon, the word gathers many of them into a single idea, often with a sense of scale, force, and danger.
The story of weaponry follows the story of human conflict. Early people relied on clubs, spears, and bows. Later came swords, cannons, rifles, and artillery. In modern times, weaponry includes aircraft, submarines, missiles, and highly advanced systems guided by electronics and software. The word is often used when talking about the range or power of what an army has available.
Most of the time, the meaning stays concrete and physical. Still, writers and speakers sometimes stretch it in a figurative direction. They may talk about cyber weaponry, for example, to describe software or digital tools used to damage, disrupt, or control. In that broader style of use, the word keeps its basic feeling of force and conflict, even when the "weapons" are not traditional ones.
So when you hear weaponry, think first of weapons taken together, especially in a military setting. If the word appears in a more figurative context, it usually borrows that same image of organized force, threat, and the means to fight.
Examples
- 1
Military investment
The country invested heavily in modern weaponry after the border conflict.
- 2
Historical display
The museum displays weaponry from the Roman period.
- 3
Security risk
Officials fear that advanced weaponry could fall into the wrong hands.
Phrase
fall into the wrong hands
be obtained by dangerous people
- 4
Peace agreement
Under the peace deal, both sides agreed to hand over their heavy weaponry.
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- weaponrynoun