military-industrial complex
/ˌmɪ.ləˌtɛ.ɹi ɪnˌdʌs.tɹi.əl ˈkɑmˌplɛks/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.40 in modern English
44
Scrabble Score
25
Letters
8
Syllables
16
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Military and industrial facilities situated in the same place.
noun
A nation's armed forces and industries (especially those supplying weapons and other materiel) collectively, regarded as a strong vested interest exerting great influence on the government.
Derogatory
Example Sentences
- "Likewise, Shreveport was the heart of a military–industrial complex that extended west to Marshall, Texas, and northwest to Jefferson, Texas, 50 miles from Shreveport to which it was linked by steamer through Cypress Bayou and Caddo Lake."
- "This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. […] In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military–industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes."
- "Over the past two years, Silicon Valley's leaders and investors—many of whom had once forsworn involvement in weapons and war—have plunged headfirst into the military industrial complex."
Etymology
From military (adjective) + industrial (adjective) + complex (noun), popularized by Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969), the 34th President of the United States, in his farewell address in 1961: see the quotation.
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˌmɪ.ləˌtɛ.ɹi ɪnˌdʌs.tɹi.əl ˈkɑmˌplɛks/
- British English: /ˌmɪ.lɪ.tə.ɹi ɪnˌdʌs.tɹi.əl ˈkɒmplɛks/
Usage
Subject
Wiktionary places this term in Military.
Inflected Forms
military–industrial complex (canonical)
military-industrial complexes (plural)