What does demobilized mean?
Demobilized is the past form of demobilize, meaning to release someone from military service, typically when a war ends and standing forces are reduced. A demobilized soldier has been formally discharged and returned to civilian life. The word also extends beyond people: equipment, factories, or entire units can be described as demobilized when they are stood down from active or emergency use. It carries an institutional, official tone, appearing most often in military, governmental, and historical contexts rather than casual conversation. The word derives from the French démobiliser and ultimately from the Latin mobilis, meaning movable. Its informal British shortening, 'demob', became culturally significant after both world wars, when millions of returning servicemen were issued civilian clothing known as demob suits. Related forms include demobilize, demobilization, and the adjective use describing discharged veterans themselves.
Past tense and past participle of demobilize: released from military service or withdrawn from active duty.
"The army demobilized most of its reservists within a year of the armistice."
Standard past form; British spelling may be demobilised.
Having been discharged from military service; no longer serving in the armed forces.
"A group of demobilized veterans gathered for the anniversary parade."
When World War I ended, Britain demobilized over four million soldiers in under two years — one of the largest peacetime transitions in history.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of demobilized
Demobilized comes from demobilize, formed in the early nineteenth century on the model of French démobiliser: the privative prefix de- combined with mobilize, from Latin mobilis (movable). The term arose in the context of Napoleonic-era warfare, when mass armies had to be disbanded after campaigns. Cognates sharing the Latin root include mobility, mobile, and immobilize.
Related word forms
How demobilized is actually used
Mostly formal or official register, common in military, governmental, and historical writing. In everyday British English, ex-servicemen are sometimes called 'demobbed' informally, especially regarding the post-WWII period ('a demob suit').
Easily confused with demobilized
Demoralized means having lost confidence, courage, or hope, whereas demobilized means released from military service; the two share a prefix but have unrelated meanings.