government issue
3
3.5
- noun
- /ˈɡʌvərnmənt ˈɪʃu/
:
suministros del gobierno
- The veteran spoke fondly of the government issue meals that sustained him during his service.
- wear government issue
- standard government issue
Examples
-
She remembers one of the last places she worked: rough shacks and green government-issue buildings scattered along a slender peninsula on the Bering Sea.
Fiction book (1995) -
Government-issue electronics fetched a good price on the streets.
Fiction book (2001) -
Her hand, encased in the same slick material that made up their standard government issue,
Fiction book (1990) -
GI means government issue, and that means that, just like your helmet and your rifle, you are a piece of equipment.
Blog text (30) -
He pulled his .45 government-issue automatic pistol and tested the slide.
Fiction book (2001) -
Julia removed her government-issue coveralls, glancing over at the technician before unsealing each seam.
Fiction book (1994) -
Catholic chaplains, along with their Jewish and Protestant colleagues, went through military training programs, wore government-issue uniforms, and conducted religious services in military tents using government-provided sacramental supplies.
Academic text (2002) -
The soldiers received their government issue uniforms before being deployed to the field.
-
During training, the recruits were equipped with government issue supplies like boots and backpacks.
Synonyms
748
1.0
Things needed for an activity, like food or tools
106
4.2
A fixed amount of food or other supplies given to each person during a shortage such as war
4
8.8
Equipment and supplies used by an army
3
3.4
Standard supplies given to soldiers
1
2.6
A supply of food and other needed things for a trip
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'supplies distributed by the government' is directly derivable from combining 'government' (the state authority) with 'issue' (an act or item of distribution): it denotes items issued by the government. This is a literal, compositional noun–noun/nominal pattern (cf. 'company issue', 'government‑issued') and is cross‑linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should infer the meaning.
Etymology
Government issue may come from armies during war that stamped gear 'G.I.' to show it belonged to the government and was an issue, meaning 'something given' to soldiers. That's why the phrase now means official 'supplies' provided by the government.