merchant of death

Weapons trade profiteer

A merchant of death is someone who profits from war—typically an arms dealer, weapons manufacturer, or war profiteer.

The phrase carries strong moral condemnation, suggesting that such people trade in human suffering for financial gain: The defense contractor was denounced as a merchant of death.

Alfred Nobel, inventor of dynamite, was famously called this in a premature obituary, reportedly inspiring him to establish the Nobel Prizes.

Related

illegal arms · profiteering · warmonger · war crimes · black marketeer · shadow economy · trafficker · exploitation · arms race · moral corruption · defense contractor · moral bankruptcy · military-industrial complex · munitions · anti-war movements · tycoon · Nobel · arms trafficking

Opposites
moral role in conflict

merchant of deathpeacemaker

Conflict resolution agent

peace activist · humanitarian · lifesaver · angel of mercy · peace broker

economic relationship to life

merchant of deathlife-giver

Source of existence

healer · lifesaver · humanitarian · Mother Teresa · physician

commercial ethics

merchant of deathphilanthropist

Donor to charitable causes

social entrepreneur · charitable donor

Family

merchant, merchants, merchandise, merchandiser, merchandising, mercantile, death, deaths

Familiarity
Top 500,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Negative · Everyday, not technical · Rated PG-13