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
The Marine Corps was alerted and canceled the firing of additional live ordnance over the highway.
—Susannah Cullinane, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2025
Before reconstruction can begin, there need to be areas that are safe and cleared of unexploded ordnance, Yacoubian said.
—Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2025
The White House, Navy and Marines had been privately discussing whether the exercise — which is expected to involve the use of ammo and ordnance during simulated warfare — warranted a freeway closure.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Oct. 2025
The Los Angeles Times said Newsom was considering shutting parts of the road due to live ordnance for the military celebration off Camp Pendleton’s coast in which Navy ships would fire over the freeway onto the base.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ordnance
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Susannah Cullinane, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2025
Before reconstruction can begin, there need to be areas that are safe and cleared of unexploded ordnance, Yacoubian said.
—Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2025
The White House, Navy and Marines had been privately discussing whether the exercise — which is expected to involve the use of ammo and ordnance during simulated warfare — warranted a freeway closure.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Oct. 2025
The Los Angeles Times said Newsom was considering shutting parts of the road due to live ordnance for the military celebration off Camp Pendleton’s coast in which Navy ships would fire over the freeway onto the base.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 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 24 Oct. 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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