ranger

noun

rang·​er ˈrān-jər 

1

a

: the keeper of a British royal park or forest

b

: forest ranger

2

: one that ranges

3

a

: one of a body of organized armed men who range over a region especially to enforce the law

b

: a soldier specially trained in close-range fighting and in raiding tactics

Examples of ranger in a Sentence

She's now a ranger at a national forest in Montana.

We were fortunate enough to get a tour from a ranger when we visited Yellowstone National Park.

Recent Examples on the Web

Fat Bear Week’s rescheduling is another reminder of the reality that rangers and park staff operate under constant uncertainty this year. —Emese MacZko, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025

The rangers poked around camp with flashlights, striking up conversations with people still awake, and left. —Denver Nicks, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2025

The movie centers on two characters, a native and a ranger with his Land Rover. —Rich Heldenfels, Boston Herald, 14 Sep. 2025

There were three rangers there that evening, and one of them wandered down to the beach with his fishing rod and pulled out a giant pink salmon on one of his first casts. —Alex Hutchinson, Outside, 10 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing ranger

• forest ranger
• lone ranger
• park ranger

Rhymes for ranger

• changer
• danger
• manger
• stranger
• arranger
• endanger
• exchanger

Kids Definition

ranger

noun

rang·​er ˈrān-jər 

1

: forest ranger

2

a

: a member of a body of troops who range over a region

b

: a soldier in an army unit with special training (as parachute jumping and scuba diving) for making surprise attacks and raids