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 Neither the Israeli military nor Palestinian health officials provided a breakdown of civilians and combatants killed in the raid. Isabel Kershner, New York Times, 9 June 2024 In the last full-scale Hezbollah-Israel war in 2006, at least 250 combatants and more than 1,100 civilians were killed in Lebanon, with some 121 military and 44 civilian deaths in Israel, in 34 days of combat. Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 June 2024 Its count does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. Bradford Betz, Fox News, 3 June 2024 Israel’s offensive has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its tally. Mike Corder, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for combatant 

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 15 Jun. 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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