proliferant
- noun
- /prəˈlɪfərənt/
- Literature
- Measures to strengthen the security of potential proliferants could also be effective in terms of diminishing governments' incentives to acquire WMD.
- potential proliferants
Examples
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The Geneva agreement of October 1994 between the United States and North Korea is a good example of how negotiating and bargaining with a potential proliferant serve nonproliferation goals.
Academic text (1998) -
Obviously, when dealing with potential proliferants, it seems easier to bar their access to sensitive materials and technologies than to influence their domestic and international incentives.
Academic text (1998) -
Sixth, serious political and social unrest is likely in the future in a number of the nuclear proliferants.
Academic text (1995) -
However, the initiatives that had been put forward on the eve of the 1995 NPT Review Conference and afterward are mostly of a global nature and cannot significantly affect the regional security considerations of the potential proliferants.
Academic text (1998) -
If faced with the situation of being unable to legally and securely profit from its industrial and technological missile-related potential, Ukraine may seek contracts with potential proliferants in the Third World.
Academic text (1996) -
The country is known as a potential nuclear-weapons proliferant due to its efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction.
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International organizations are working to prevent states from becoming proliferants by enforcing strict regulations on nuclear technology.
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Experts agree that monitoring the activities of proliferants is crucial for global security and non-proliferation efforts.
Antonyms
- Specialized
To reduce or remove weapons and armies between countries to lower the chance of war
Surface Forms
Morphology
proliferant = proliferate (semi-transparent) = proliferate + ant
Morphologically transparent as 'proliferate' + '-ant', but the specific political/technical application to states/entities spreading weapons is a domain-specific extension that may not be obvious to general learners.
Etymology
Proliferant comes from the Latin parts proles 'offspring' and ferre 'to bring', the same idea behind proliferate meaning 'to spread'. So a proliferant country is one that 'brings forth' or tries to spread dangerous weapons, which explains the modern use.