Demobilization

/ˌdiːmoʊbɪləˈzeɪʃən/ noun

Definition

The process of discharging military personnel from service and converting armed forces back to civilian operations; American spelling.

Etymology

From 'demobilize' + '-ation'. From French 'démobiliser', combining 'dé-' (remove) + 'mobiliser' (mobilize). The '-ization' ending is standard American English.

Kelly Says

American and British soldiers used vastly different words for the same process after WWII—'demobilization' vs 'demobilisation'—but both meant the same urgent challenge of suddenly having millions of armed people to deal with!

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