Aufrüstung

arms buildup

noun OWF-rues-toong Rare

Also means

rearmament

Usage Note

Aufrüstung is the buildup of military forces, from aufrüsten (to arm up). The opposite is Abrüstung (disarmament). Beyond the military, aufrüsten can mean to upgrade equipment, e.g. a computer. Largely uncountable in the military sense.

Examples

"Die einseitige Aufrüstung beunruhigte die Nachbarstaaten."

Natural Translation

The unilateral arms buildup alarmed the neighbouring states.

Literal Translation

The one-sided arms-buildup alarmed the neighbour-states.

Free starter pack

Building your German vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common German words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

How to Tell Time in German Without Mistakes

Halb sieben means 6:30, not 7:30. Master telling time in German — Viertel nach, halb, vor, the 24-hour clock, and the prepositions that trip up beginners.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

German Separable Verbs: When the Prefix Splits

German separable verbs split in two: the verb stays near the front and the prefix flies to the end. Learn the stress test and where every piece goes.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

German Cases Explained Simply (4 Cases)

German has four cases, and each answers one question: wer, wen, wem, wessen. Learn nominative, accusative, dative, and genitive without drowning in charts.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

Wo, Wohin, Woher: Three Ways to Say Where

German splits where into three: wo (location), wohin (destination), and woher (origin). Learn the wo vs wohin rule, the hin/her logic, and common mistakes.

June 5, 2026 6 min read