# Term for the opposite of a military "force multiplier" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 27, 2018, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244 "2018-03-27T04:13:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244/1 "2018-03-27T04:13:50Z")
Is there a common term for something that drastically decreases a military fighting force’s effectiveness, like the opposite of what would be called a “force multiplier?” ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244/2 "2018-03-27T04:44:19Z")
Yes. It’s called “a bad idea”. 🙂 Seriously, I don’t know of any special term that would be required. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244/3 "2018-03-27T05:26:32Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Is there a common term for something that drastically decreases a military fighting force’s effectiveness, like the opposite of what would be called a “force multiplier?” Don’t know of a term as such, but “terrain”, is a often used as a one word reason as to why military forces are suddenly a lot less effective, though obviously it on its own does not mean that. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244/4 "2018-03-27T05:30:06Z")
Adversity in any form is clearly… adverse. 🙂 I thought the OP was referring to something that could be acquired, as opposed to encountering it. Maybe I’m wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244/5 "2018-03-27T06:26:04Z")
“Vulnerabilities”, maybe? ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244/6 "2018-03-27T06:33:23Z")
Well, obviously the antonym of “force multiplier” would be “force divider” or something very similar, and in an appropriate context even someone who had never heard the term would probably understand it, so long as they were already familiar with the term “force multiplier”. If “force divider” doesn’t occur in nature, so to speak, or is vanishingly rare, that would suggest that the concept it describes is not spoken of enough to require a term. ---
**Author:** ![ganthet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de0a6/32.png) [@ganthet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ganthet)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244/7 "2018-03-27T06:37:49Z")
Since virtually anything positive can be cited as an example of a force or combat multiplier from ensuring troops are paid on time or are able to get mail, let alone anything involving actual firepower or military supply logistics, virtually anything negative could also be the opposite of a combat/force multiplier. As such, I don’t think there is any one word or term that is universally used to mean the opposite of a combat/force multiplier, but I have heard the phrase [combat/force divider](http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a249957.pdf) or force/combat detractor. ---
**Author:** ![Sasquatch\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8491ac/32.png) [@Sasquatch\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sasquatch_1)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244/8 "2018-03-27T09:23:35Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > “Vulnerabilities”, maybe? Yep, in Center of Gravity analysis, a critical vulnerability is pretty much that. So if an enemy did CoG analysis on us (US), it might point to things that would be particular force dividers or degraders. (not all CV fit though) ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244/9 "2018-03-27T09:55:20Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Is there a common term for something that drastically decreases a military fighting force’s effectiveness, like the opposite of what would be called a “force multiplier?” How about a “force nullifier”? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244/10 "2018-03-27T10:49:11Z")
“Degrader”, in my work environment. ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244/11 "2018-03-27T10:52:46Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Is there a common term for something that drastically decreases a military fighting force’s effectiveness, like the opposite of what would be called a “force multiplier?” Don’t know if it’s used that way - but logically, a negative number can also serve as Multiplier, so … “negative force Multiplier”? Good temperature /Weather condition: troops gain by factor of 1 Too cold/ too hot/ rain: troops loose effectiveness by factor of -2 Morale high: factor of x2 Morale low: factor of x-5 to -10 I wonder if Video games are programmed like this? ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244/12 "2018-03-27T11:18:05Z")
force reducer, perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244/13 "2018-03-27T16:03:35Z")
Constraint. ---
**Author:** ![Capn\_Carl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Capn\_Carl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capn_Carl)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244/14 "2018-03-28T02:01:59Z")
Vulnerability? ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244/15 "2018-03-28T02:29:00Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > How about a “force nullifier”? This sounds good. ---
**Author:** ![Whiskey\_Dickens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9fc348/32.png) [@Whiskey\_Dickens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whiskey_Dickens)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244/16 "2018-03-28T12:29:48Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > This sounds good. Nullifier would imply that the force level was brought to zero (or null). I believe the OP is looking for a term describing a _reduction_ in force. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244/17 "2018-03-28T15:16:50Z")
“Force multiplier below unity” ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244/18 "2018-03-28T15:18:37Z")
The proper term is “cadorna.” > **[Luigi Cadorna](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luigi_Cadorna)** > > Marshal of Italy Luigi Cadorna, OSML, OMS, OCI (4 September 1850 – 21 December 1928) was an Italian general, Marshal of Italy and Count most famous for being the Chief of Staff of the Italian Army from 1914-1917 of World War I. > Luigi Cadorna was born to General Raffaele Cadorna in Verbania Pallanza, Piedmont in 1850. In 1860 Cadorna became a student at the "Teuliè" Military School in Milan. At fifteen he entered the Turin Military Academy. Upon graduation he was commissioned as a second lieutena... ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244/19 "2018-03-28T18:28:50Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > Constraint. Ding! ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244/20 "2018-03-28T18:30:32Z")
In some contexts - for example, an army purchases a piece of equipment that causes unexpected problems - it could be “liability” or “burden”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-the-opposite-of-a-military-force-multiplier/811244.md?page=2)