Demilitarised

Part of speech: adjective, verb

Definitions

1. The action of withdrawing military troops from a specific region is performed to enhance diplomatic relations
2. An area is designated as free from armed forces to minimize potential hostilities
3. The process of removing military presence from a designated area occurs to promote peace and stability in the region

Etymology: "Demilitarised" is the British spelling of "demilitarized," and its history is a plain combination of two parts. The prefix "de-" comes from Latin, where it could mean "down from" or "off," and in English it often signals removal or reversal. The stem "militarise" builds on "military," which descends from Latin "militaris," meaning "of soldiers," itself from "miles," "soldier." Putting these together gives the sense of stripping something of its military character or forces. The word's chief use is political and diplomatic: a zone, island, or region is declared free of armed forces, usually by treaty, so that tensions have less chance of turning into fighting. Because the word is built transparently from familiar parts, it needs little explanation, and its meaning has stayed close to its literal sense of removing the military from a place.

Synonyms: disarmed, dearmed, reduced, diminished, abandoned