1460, from M.Fr. militaire, from L. militaris "of soldiers or war," from miles (gen. militis) "soldier," perhaps ult. from Etruscan, or else meaning "one who marches in a troop," and thus connected to Skt. melah "assembly," Gk. homilos "assembled crowd, throng." The noun sense of "soldiers generally" is attested from 1757. Military-industrial complex coined 1961 in farewell speech of U.S. president Dwight D. Eisenhower. Militarism is first recorded 1864, from Fr. militarisme.
of or relating to the study of the principles of warfare; "military law"
2.
characteristic of or associated with soldiers or the military; "military uniforms" [ant: nonmilitary]
3.
associated with or performed by members of the armed services as contrasted with civilians; "military police" [ant: civilian]
noun
1.
the military forces of a nation; "their military is the largest in the region"; "the military machine is the same one we faced in 1991 but now it is weaker"
Mil"i*ta*ry\, a. [L. militaris, militarius, from miles, militis, soldier: cf. F. militaire.]1. Of or pertaining to soldiers, to arms, or to war; belonging to, engaged in, or appropriate to, the affairs of war; as, a military parade; military discipline; military bravery; military conduct; military renown. Nor do I, as an enemy to peace, Troop in the throngs of military men. --Shak. 2. Performed or made by soldiers; as, a military election; a military expedition. --Bacon. Military law. See Martial law, under Martial. Military order. (a) A command proceeding from a military superior. (b) An association of military persons under a bond of certain peculiar rules; especially, such an association of knights in the Middle Ages, or a body in modern times taking a similar form, membership of which confers some distinction. Military tenure, tenure of land, on condition of performing military service.
![[P]](http://cache.lexico.com/g/d/premium_mh.gif){kind=small}
Audio Help [mil-i-ter-ee] Pronunciation Key adjective, noun, plural -tar·ies, -tar·y. 
