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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
Over the weekend, the Kremlin announced the appointment of a new defense minister — an economist, Andrei Belousov, who will be tasked with harnessing the power of Russia’s military-industrial complex to sustain the fight.
—Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2024
Many of the industries that contribute to that warming through greenhouse gas emissions, like oil companies and the U.S. military-industrial complex, are either moving too slowly to keep humanity alive or actively resisting efforts to rein in their harms.
—Melvin Backman, Quartz, 8 May 2024
Kurgan is home to a key part of Russia’s military-industrial complex — a giant factory that produces infantry fighting vehicles for the army which are in high demand in Ukraine where the Russian military is on the offensive in some areas.
—Reuters, NBC News, 12 Apr. 2024
With a hat trick of performances from Peter Sellers, the film satirizes the American military-industrial complex and Cold War paranoia while finding a few laughs in the face of nuclear holocaust.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 9 Mar. 2024
Their military-industrial complex appears to be humming in producing war materiel, and the Kremlin’s coffers have never been fuller.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 19 Feb. 2024
But another reason Russia’s birth rate is so low today is that Putin needs soldiers and workers at military-industrial complex factories, and fewer Russians today want their children to grow up to become soldiers and workers.
—Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 7 Mar. 2024
She was sent to gather information on America’s military-industrial complex.
—Jack Kresnak, Detroit Free Press, 21 Jan. 2024
The sanctions, which are intended to disrupt Putin's war efforts, take aim at Russia’s financial sector, military-industrial complex, procurement networks and sanctions evaders across multiple continents.
—Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'military-industrial complex.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1961, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of military-industrial complex was
in 1961
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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 10 Jun. 2024.
More from Merriam-Webster on military-industrial complex
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about military-industrial complex
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