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
But small evacuations still take place on a regular basis when unexploded ordnances are found.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 4 June 2025
Unexploded ordnance poses the most danger to young men, according to HALO.
—Lynsey Addario, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Vietnamese officials say the relationship with the U.S. is anchored in American efforts to address war legacies such as Agent Orange contamination and unexploded ordnance in the countryside that still threaten lives.
—Aniruddha Ghosal, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for ordnance
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Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 4 June 2025
Unexploded ordnance poses the most danger to young men, according to HALO.
—Lynsey Addario, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Vietnamese officials say the relationship with the U.S. is anchored in American efforts to address war legacies such as Agent Orange contamination and unexploded ordnance in the countryside that still threaten lives.
—Aniruddha Ghosal, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for ordnance
Cite this Entry
“Ordnance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ordnance. Accessed 10 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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