ammunition
B2Neutral to formal; common in military, political, and figurative contexts.
Definition
Meaning
Material (such as bullets, shells, grenades) fired from weapons.
Facts, arguments, or resources used to support a case or attack an opponent.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word is primarily a mass noun ('they have little ammunition'). In military contexts, it refers to the consumable components (projectiles, propellant) used in combat. Its figurative use is extremely common, where it means evidence or points used to win an argument.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Spelling and pronunciation are standard.
Connotations
Identical connotations in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally common in both BrE and AmE.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
N + for + N (ammunition for the debate)N + against + N (ammunition against his critics)V + N (provide/give/use ammunition)N + V (ammunition runs out)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “give someone ammunition”
- “a lot of ammunition”
- “political ammunition”
- “run out of ammunition (figurative)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Figurative: 'The sales report gave her ammunition to push for a new strategy.'
Academic
Figurative: 'The researcher used the data as ammunition to challenge the prevailing theory.'
Everyday
Figurative: 'He's always looking for ammunition to win an argument.'
Technical
Literal: 'The unit was resupplied with 5.56mm ammunition.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adverb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The soldiers carried ammunition.
- The police used live ammunition to control the crowd.
- He always has ammunition for an argument.
- The warehouse was discovered to be stockpiling illegal ammunition.
- The journalist's findings provided fresh ammunition for the opposition's campaign.
- Diplomatic cables, leaked to the press, handed the government's opponents potent political ammunition.
- The regiment was critically low on artillery ammunition after three days of sustained bombardment.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'Ammo' for bullets + 'munition' (like in 'munition' or 'munition depot'). It's the 'munition' you use for attack.
Conceptual Metaphor
ARGUMENT IS WAR (facts are ammunition, attacks are fired).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'вооружение' (which is 'armament/weapons'). Ammunition is specifically 'боеприпасы' or 'патроны'.
- The figurative use maps directly to Russian 'козыри' or 'аргументы' in a conflict metaphor.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a countable noun (*an ammunition). It is uncountable.
- Confusing it with 'weapon' (a weapon fires ammunition).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'ammunition' used literally?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is an uncountable (mass) noun. You cannot say 'an ammunition' or 'ammunitions'. You quantify it with phrases like 'some ammunition', 'a lot of ammunition', 'rounds of ammunition'.
'Ammunition' refers to the projectiles and propellant fired from weapons. 'Munition' (often plural 'munitions') is a broader term for military weapons, ammunition, and equipment.
Rarely. Even in its figurative sense, it is used in the context of conflict, debate, or attack. It implies something is being used to 'fire' at an opponent.
No, it is standard and acceptable in formal contexts like academic writing, journalism, and business reports.