ordnance
noun
ord·nance
ˈȯrd-nən(t)s 
1
a
: military supplies including weapons, ammunition, combat vehicles, and maintenance tools and equipment
bombers dropped heavy concentrations of ordnance on every targeted airfield—
Ron Dick
Ron Dick
b
: a service of the army charged with the procuring, distributing, and safekeeping of ordnance
Examples of ordnance in a Sentence
The company was outfitted with 50-millimeter ordnance.
the army is waiting for the heavy ordnance to be brought in
Recent Examples on the Web
During World War II, the Marines did the same, leaving plenty of ordnance behind — including some that exploded in 1983, killing two boys.
—Christopher Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2025
Aerial bombs and cluster munitions make up a large portion of the unexploded ordnance in both countries.
—Anton L. Delgado, NBC News, 14 Feb. 2025
The playground expansion has now been put on hold until officials can clear the site of any further ordnances, but it is expected to resume later this spring, officials said.
—Jon Haworth, ABC News, 12 Feb. 2025
The United States has expended millions of dollars’ worth of defensive and offensive ordnance.
—The Editors, National Review, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ordnance
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Christopher Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2025
Aerial bombs and cluster munitions make up a large portion of the unexploded ordnance in both countries.
—Anton L. Delgado, NBC News, 14 Feb. 2025
The playground expansion has now been put on hold until officials can clear the site of any further ordnances, but it is expected to resume later this spring, officials said.
—Jon Haworth, ABC News, 12 Feb. 2025
The United States has expended millions of dollars’ worth of defensive and offensive ordnance.
—The Editors, National Review, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ordnance
Cite this Entry
“Ordnance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ordnance. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ordnance
noun
ord·nance
ˈȯrd-nən(t)s
1
: military supplies
also
: the branch of the army that obtains and gives out military supplies
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