English Reference

Word

arsenal

Phoneticsar·se·nal

US/ˈɑɹsənəɫ/

UK/ˈɑːsənəl/

Definitions

01military storage

C1

n. a building or place where weapons and military equipment are made or stored.

n. a military establishment for the manufacture, storage, or repair of arms and ammunition.

“The old arsenal was converted into a museum showing weapons from the war.”

“Security at the naval arsenal was tightened significantly following reports of a potential breach in the perimeter fence.”

Technical

02stock of weapons

B2

n. all the weapons that a country or group has.

n. the entire collection of weaponry and war materiel possessed by a nation or military force.

“The two countries agreed to reduce their nuclear arsenal to keep the peace.”

“Diplomatic efforts focused on the systematic decommissioning of the chemical arsenal that had been accumulated over the previous decade.”

03collection of resources

B2

n. a wide range of skills, tools, or methods that you can use to achieve something.

n. a figurative store or supply of resources, skills, or arguments available for a particular purpose.

“The lawyer had a whole arsenal of evidence to prove her client was innocent.”

“Modern doctors have a vast arsenal of antibiotics at their disposal, though the rise of resistant bacteria remains a significant concern.”

04football club

B1 · Sport

n. a famous professional football team based in London.

n. refers specifically to Arsenal Football Club, a major professional team in the English Premier League.

“He has been a loyal Arsenal fan since he was a young boy.”

“The match at the Emirates Stadium saw Arsenal secure a narrow victory against their North London rivals.”

British English

Synonyms

the Gunners

Real-World Examples

“Gun ownership soared as laws were relaxed, allowing criminal groups to expand their arsenals.”
The Guardian · 16 Aug 2026
“Spain's Aragon region deployed what authorities called the largest firefighting arsenal in its history on Sunday as French reinforcements were due to help contain a wildfire that has threatened a 1,000-year-old monastery.”
The Local · 16 Aug 2026

Etymology

From Italian arsenale, from Arabic دَار الصِّنَاعَة (dār aṣ-ṣināʕa, “manufacturing shop”), from دَار (dār) + صِنَاعَة (ṣināʕa).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Domain

Military

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Common
Updated

Scan code

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English Reference