ammunition (English)
Where does "ammunition" come from?
The word ammunition stems from the Latin term for fortification or defense, which evolved into the French 'la munition' meaning war supplies. Through a process called rebracketing, the French phrase 'la munition' was mistakenly split into 'l'amunition,' which was then adopted into English. Over time, the word shifted from describing general military stores to specifically referring to the projectiles and explosives used in firearms.
Full etymology tree
- ammunition (English), 'Articles used in charging firearms and ordnance of all kinds; as powder, balls, shot, shells, percussion caps, rockets, etc.'
- borrowed amunition (Middle French)
- derived munition (Middle French)
- inherited munitio (Latin), 'a defending, fortifying, protecting'
- derived munition (Middle French)
- borrowed amunition (Middle French)
Updated June 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris