Preventive Attack (Noun)
Meaning
A strike that is carried out in order to deter expected aggression by hostile forces.
Classification
Nouns denoting acts or actions.
Examples
- The general ordered a preventive attack on the enemy's airfield to neutralize their airpower before they could launch a strike.
- The doctrine of preventive attack has been debated by military strategists and ethicists, with some arguing that it is a necessary evil in certain situations.
- In the face of an imminent threat, the government authorized a preventive attack on the hostile nation's military installations.
- Historians have questioned whether the preventive attack launched by the Axis powers in World War II was truly a defensive measure or simply a pretext for aggression.
- The concept of preventive attack has been used to justify preemptive strikes against nations or groups suspected of developing weapons of mass destruction.