peace dividend

American

noun

money cut by a government from its defense budget as a result of the cessation of hostilities with other countries.

peace dividend British

noun

additional money available to a government from cuts in defence expenditure because of the end of a period of hostilities

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of peace dividend

First recorded in 1985–90

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Investors betting on how much of the peace dividend will return as spending on defense should also focus on how much of it will be allowed to flow through to shareholders of arms manufacturers, especially in Europe.

From The Wall Street Journal

Moreover, demographic shifts were generally benign; there had been a peace dividend, which reduced the need for defense spending; and China was producing huge quantities of consumer goods to satisfy demand.

From MarketWatch

Its population has reaped the benefits of the so-called peace dividend—when military spending was cut back after the Cold War and the extra funds plowed into social spending.

From The Wall Street Journal

"The logic is that it will provide the peace dividend," he said.

From BBC

That’s not all: Mr. Witkoff seems to believe that the peace dividend on offer can benefit Ukraine too.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023