military-industrial complex

noun

: an informal alliance of the military and related government departments with defense industries that is held to influence government policy

Examples of military-industrial complex in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Russia’s military-industrial complex, feeding an insatiable war machine, has expanded significantly since the war began, as a result. Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 11 Oct. 2024 Even the missile wars against the Houthi rebels in Yemen put the U.S. military-industrial complex at a disadvantage, as the U.S. shoots down cheap Houthi missiles with expensive U.S. interceptors. William Hartung, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024 Western aid must include provisions to support the revitalization of Ukraine’s own defense firms, which were once the pride of the Soviet military-industrial complex. Eric Ciaramella, Foreign Affairs, 7 June 2023 Russia needs soldiers, IT specialists, workers for its military-industrial complex, and an obedient rising generation that has been indoctrinated in the revanchist and simplified history propagated in the new textbooks. Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for military-industrial complex 

Word History

First Known Use

1961, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of military-industrial complex was in 1961

Dictionary Entries Near military-industrial complex

Cite this Entry

“Military-industrial complex.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/military-industrial%20complex. Accessed 18 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on military-industrial complex

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!