combatant

noun

com·​bat·​ant kəm-ˈba-tᵊnt How to pronounce combatant (audio)
also ˈkäm-bə-tənt
Synonyms of combatantnext
: one that is engaged in or ready to engage in combat
combatant adjective

Examples of combatant in a Sentence

Britain was a main combatant in World War II.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2026 Unmanned systems already outnumber human combatants in active zones like Ukraine, where tens of thousands of drones and autonomous platforms are deployed. Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 16 June 2026 Having faced considerable losses already and staring down more to come, many of the prominent combatants spend Season 3 in an existential crisis, which lends the series a similar atmosphere. Ben Travers, IndieWire, 15 June 2026 This week, the hard realities of the office have threatened to overshadow the ostentatious UFC mixed martial arts extravaganza, where combatants sealed inside a wire-mesh octagon try to punch, kick, chop and pummel each other into submission. ABC News, 14 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for combatant

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of combatant was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Combatant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/combatant. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

combatant

noun
com·​bat·​ant kəm-ˈbat-ᵊnt How to pronounce combatant (audio)
also ˈkäm-bət-
: one that is engaged in or ready to engage in combat
combatant adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on combatant

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster