ammunition

noun

am·​mu·​ni·​tion ˌam-yə-ˈni-shən How to pronounce ammunition (audio)
Synonyms of ammunitionnext
1
a
: the projectiles with their fuses, propelling charges, or primers fired from guns
b
: cartridges
c
: explosive military items (such as grenades or bombs)
2
: material for use in attacking or defending a position
ammunition for the defense lawyers

Synonyms of ammunition

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of ammunition in a Sentence

The troops were supplied with weapons and ammunition. be certain that all of your accusations are true, lest you just give them ammunition to claim that all of them are false
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That’s because of their ability to use large-capacity ammunition magazines, which can hold up to 100 rounds. — Robert Spitzer, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026 Russian strikes have intensified ahead of winter, worsening emergency power outages in Kyiv and prompting President Volodymyr Zelensky to seek more air defenses and ammunition from NATO. — Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026 The terrorist plot was foiled after an FBI informant supplied the suspect with an AK-47 rifle and 200 rounds of ammunition. — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 8 Oct. 2026 An ammunition depot was hit, as were a bulk carrier in the Chornomorsk port carrying dual-use goods and port infrastructure in Izmail, the ministry said. — Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ammunition

Word History

Etymology

earlier, "military supplies," borrowed from Middle French amonition, probably variant of munition, monition munition

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of ammunition was in 1607

Rhymes for ammunition

See All Rhymes for ammunition

Browse Nearby Words

ammophilous
ammunition
ammunition scuttle
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ammunition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ammunition. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

ammunition

noun
am·​mu·​ni·​tion ˌam-yə-ˈnish-ən How to pronounce ammunition (audio)
1
a
: objects (as bullets) fired from guns
b
: explosive objects (as bombs) used in war
2
: material that may be used in attacking or defending a position
results of the study provided more ammunition

More from Merriam-Webster on ammunition

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ammunition

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of deportment

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All