mil·i·tary
ˈmi-lə-ˌter-ē 
1
a
: of or relating to soldiers, arms, or war
military discipline/life/service
the country's military needs
a military career
b
: of or relating to armed forces
especially
: of or relating to ground or sometimes ground and air forces as opposed to naval forces
military and naval affairs
2
a
: performed or made by armed forces
military operations
b
: supported by armed force
a military government
a military coup
3
: of or relating to the army
the military academy at West Point
plural military also militaries
1
: military persons
especially
: army officers
2
Examples of military in a Sentence
Adjective
He is being tried in a military court rather than in a civilian court.
He has had a long military career.
Noun
There were many military present but only a few civilians.
some would insist that the military's budget is still inadequate
Recent Examples on the Web
Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Such efforts would have likely included hacking military networks, jamming radar systems, disrupting satellites, and destroying communication nodes.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 8 Mar. 2026
Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 9 Mar. 2026
The Freedom Shield exercises aim to enhance interoperability, reinforce combined defense posture, and increase overall combat readiness, according to the US military.
—Soo-Hyang Choi, Bloomberg, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for military
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Adjective
By all accounts, the campaign against Iran’s military assets has achieved success.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Such efforts would have likely included hacking military networks, jamming radar systems, disrupting satellites, and destroying communication nodes.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 8 Mar. 2026
Noun
Old contingency plans revisited The US military has examined similar missions before.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 9 Mar. 2026
The Freedom Shield exercises aim to enhance interoperability, reinforce combined defense posture, and increase overall combat readiness, according to the US military.
—Soo-Hyang Choi, Bloomberg, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for military
Cite this Entry
“Military.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/military. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
military
1 of 2 adjective
mil·i·tary
ˈmil-ə-ˌter-ē
1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of soldiers, arms, or war
military discipline
2
: carried on or supported by armed force
a military government
3
: of or relating to the army
military and naval affairs
military
2 of 2 noun
plural military
1
2
: military persons
especially
: army officers
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