Militarising

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The act of converting civilian institutions to a military focus entails boosting defense readiness and military operations
2. The development of military capabilities within a society signifies a move towards increased armed organization and security
3. The process of transforming civilian sectors into military-oriented entities involves enhancing defense strategies and operational readiness

Etymology: "Militarising" is the British spelling of "militarizing," and its core is simple: the verb "militarise" is built from "military" plus a suffix, and the suffix carries most of the history. The "-ise" ending traces back through Anglo-Norman and Middle French "-iser" to Late Latin "-izare," which in turn was borrowed from Ancient Greek "-izein," a verb-forming ending meaning to make or to treat in a certain way. The Greek ending itself is ancient, and its distant ancestry reaches back to the same Indo-European roots that gave many languages their verb suffixes. The base word "military" comes from Latin "militaris," meaning "of soldiers," from "miles," a soldier. Put together, "militarise" means to make something resemble or serve the military, and the "-ing" form describes that process as it unfolds. The suffix gives English a flexible tool: attach it to a noun and you get a verb for turning that thing into what the noun describes, such as "modernise," "civilise," or "industrialise."

Synonyms: arming, equipping, mobilizing