antipersonnel
|an-ti-per-son-nel|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.ti.pɚˈsɛn.əl/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.ti.pəˈsɜː.nəl/
against people (weapons targeting people)
Etymology
'antipersonnel' comes from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti-' meaning 'against') combined with 'personnel' (from French 'personnel').
'anti-' (Greek) + 'personnel' (French, from Latin 'persona') were joined in modern English to form the compound 'antipersonnel' used especially in military contexts (mid-20th century onward).
Originally a literal compound meaning 'against personnel (people)'; it evolved into a technical term referring primarily to weapons intended to target people, such as 'antipersonnel mines'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a weapon intended to injure or kill people (often used as a short form for 'antipersonnel mine').
Many countries have banned antipersonnel mines.
Synonyms
Adjective 1
designed to kill or injure people rather than equipment or structures (used especially of weapons, e.g. antipersonnel mines).
The treaty bans the use of antipersonnel weapons.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/06 14:40