軍備

• Reading: ぐんび
• Romaji: gunbi
• Kanji breakdown: 軍 (gun) — military; 備 (bi) — preparation, equipment, provision
• Pronunciation: /ɡɯ.m.bi/

Meaning

Armament; military preparedness; arsenal. The totality of a nation's military equipment, forces, and defence infrastructure.

Used in discussions of defence policy, international security, and diplomatic negotiations. Key collocations include 軍備拡張 (arms build-up), 軍備管理 (arms control), and 軍備縮小 (disarmament). Distinct from 兵器 (weapons, specific arms) in that 軍備 refers to the comprehensive military establishment.

Examples

1. 隣国との緊張が高まる中、政府は軍備の増強を進めている。 Amid rising tensions with a neighboring country, the government is expanding its military capabilities.
2. 軍備管理条約の交渉は難航し、最終合意まで数年を要した。 Negotiations on an arms control treaty proved difficult and took several years to reach a final agreement.
3. 軍備に費やされる予算は教育や社会保障に使われるべきだという意見もある。 Some argue that the budget spent on armaments should be used for education and social welfare instead.

Usage Guide

Context: defence policy, international security, arms control

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Sino-Japanese compound. 軍 (gun) means military; 備 (bi) means preparation, provision, or equipment (as in 準備, 設備). Together they denote the full array of military preparations and resources.

Cultural Context

Era: Meiji–Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Educated