militarize
UK[ˈmɪl.ɪ.tər.aɪz]US[ˈmɪl.ə.tə.raɪz]
v
to equip or supply with soldiers and military equipment.
v
to give a military character to something, such as an organization or a region.
Morpheme Breakdown
milit
arize
milit
soldier
arize
to make
Etymology
the word militarize is a modern formation built upon classical foundations. its core, 'milit-', descends directly from the latin 'miles', denoting a soldier, which itself may have uncertain earlier origins. this root is combined with the productive english verbal suffix '-ize', a borrowing via latin from the greek '-izein', a suffix that means 'to make, to render, or to become'. the literal construction 'to make soldier-like' logically evolved into the modern abstract senses of equipping with military forces or imparting a military character to a civilian sphere, reflecting the process of transformation.
Analysis
Structure: milit (soldier) + arize (to make)
milit originates from latin 'miles, militis' meaning soldier. arize is a verb-forming suffix derived from greek '-izein' via latin '-izare', meaning 'to render, to make'.
Examples
the government decided to militarize the border in response to the crisis.
some fear that the new policy will militarize our local police forces.
the region became heavily militarized during the prolonged conflict.