militarization

/ˌmɪlətərəˈzeɪʃən/

The process of becoming ready for conflict or war is militarization. Sometimes militarization refers to making a civilian organization resemble the armed forces—with uniforms or weapons, for example.

When a country prepares itself for war, that's militarization. And when military resources are sent somewhere—to the site of a natural disaster or a political demonstration, for example—that's also militarization. A more systemic kind of militarization happens when a city's police force acquires military-grade weapons and uniforms, or uses military tactics instead of traditional community policing methods. The Latin root of militarization is militaris, "of soldiers or war."

Definitions of militarization

1. noun

   the act of assembling and putting into readiness for war or other emergency
   synonyms: militarisation, mobilisation, mobilization

   types:

   armament, arming, equipping

   the act of equiping with weapons in preparation for war

   conscription, draft, muster, selective service

   compulsory military service

   remilitarisation, remilitarization

   the act of militarizing again

   outfitting

   the act of renovating and fitting out a ship

   rearmament

   the act of arming again

   levy, levy en masse

   the act of drafting into military service

   type of:

   social control

   control exerted (actively or passively) by group action