The 9×19mm Parabellum (abbreviated 9mm, 9×19mm or 9×19) cartridge was designed by Georg Luger and introduced in 1902 by the German weapons manufacturer Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken (DWM) for their Luger semi-automatic pistol. For this reason, it is commonly called the 9 mm Luger cartridge, differentiating it from the 9mm Makarov and 9mm Browning (.380 ACP) cartridges.

The book Cartridges of the World stated in 2006 that the 9×19mm Parabellum is "the world's most popular and widely used military handgun cartridge."

The name Parabellum is derived from the Latin: Si vis pacem, para bellum ("If you seek peace, prepare for war"), which was the motto of DWM.

In addition to being used by over 60% of police in the U.S., Newsweek credits 9×19 pistol sales with making semi-automatic pistols more popular than revolvers. The popularity of this cartridge can be attributed to the widely held conviction that it is highly effective in police and self-defense use. Its low cost and wide availability (subject to jurisdiction) are self-sustaining contributors to the caliber's continuing popularity.