arms race

/ɑrmz reɪs/

Other forms: arms races

An arms race is what happens when two countries compete to have the strongest military power by accumulating weapons. One of the most famous arms races occurred between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

Arms race was first used around 1930, from arms, or "weapons of war" — though the phenomenon existed long before. Unlike most races, it rarely results in a clear winner. While some argue that an arms race prevents war, history shows it's just as likely to lead to armed conflict. The Cold War, the most expensive arms race in history, didn’t end in war between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R., but it caused many smaller wars around the world.

Definitions of arms race

1. noun

   a competition between nations to have the most powerful armaments
   type of:

   race

   any competition