combatant

noun

com·​bat·​ant kəm-ˈba-tᵊnt How to pronounce combatant (audio)
 also  ˈkäm-bə-tənt
: 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 The tally doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants. Sam Mednick, TIME, 6 May 2024 The entire team would gather around the combatants to take sides, with the winner swarmed by joyous teammates. Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024 Israeli's air and ground offensive has killed over 34,500 people, according to Palestinian health officials, who don't differentiate between civilians and combatants but say women and children make up a majority of those killed. TIME, 5 May 2024 The figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but officials, aid groups and activists say most of the casualties are women and children. Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024 To adhere to the conventions, parties to a conflict must distinguish between civilians and combatants and between civilian places and military ones. Oona A. Hathaway, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024 More than 33,000 people have been killed and 76,000 injured in Gaza since the war began, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. Sammy Westfall, Washington Post, 16 Apr. 2024 The numbers come from Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2024 There even seemed to be an exchange of words between combatants before one bout. Victor Mather Todd Heisler, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'combatant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near combatant

Cite this Entry

“Combatant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/combatant. Accessed 10 May. 2024.

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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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