plural enemies
1
: one that is antagonistic to another
especially
: one seeking to injure, overthrow, or confound an opponent
2
: something harmful or deadly
alcohol was his greatest enemy
3
a
: a military adversary
b
: a hostile unit or force
Examples of enemy in a Sentence
He made a lot of enemies during the course of his career.
Tradition is the enemy of progress.
Recent Examples on the Web
What constitutes an act that is harmful to the enemy is not defined under international humanitarian law.
—
Solcyré Burga, TIME, 26 Apr. 2024
The honorable death deals a pivotal blow to Toranaga's enemies
Toranaga has dealt with the painful deaths of his son Yoshii Nagakado and his right-hand general Toda Hiromatsu.
—Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2024
They were legally permitted to take the steps necessary to enforce the rights on which the enemy had infringed—and nothing more.
—Oona A. Hathaway, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
In combat, players need to switch between the two and use them strategically while dashing to avoid enemy attacks.
—Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2024
But veterans of the United States’ wars say the number of enemy soldiers killed, or command posts destroyed, has proved a totally irrelevant fact and a deeply misleading measure of success in a military campaign.
—Adam Rasgon, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2024
Well, keep your friends close, but your enemies closer, right?
—Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Apr. 2024
Their enemies will portray them as weak and embolden them.
—Letters To The Editor, Orange County Register, 22 Apr. 2024
America should be attempting to deter our enemies, and, when that fails, degrading their capabilities or defeating them via our partners is the next best alternative.
—The Editors, National Review, 17 Apr. 2024
Solcyré Burga, TIME, 26 Apr. 2024
The honorable death deals a pivotal blow to Toranaga's enemies
Toranaga has dealt with the painful deaths of his son Yoshii Nagakado and his right-hand general Toda Hiromatsu.
—Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2024
They were legally permitted to take the steps necessary to enforce the rights on which the enemy had infringed—and nothing more.
—Oona A. Hathaway, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
In combat, players need to switch between the two and use them strategically while dashing to avoid enemy attacks.
—Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2024
But veterans of the United States’ wars say the number of enemy soldiers killed, or command posts destroyed, has proved a totally irrelevant fact and a deeply misleading measure of success in a military campaign.
—Adam Rasgon, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2024
Well, keep your friends close, but your enemies closer, right?
—Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Apr. 2024
Their enemies will portray them as weak and embolden them.
—Letters To The Editor, Orange County Register, 22 Apr. 2024
America should be attempting to deter our enemies, and, when that fails, degrading their capabilities or defeating them via our partners is the next best alternative.
—The Editors, National Review, 17 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'enemy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near enemy
Cite this Entry
“Enemy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enemy. Accessed 1 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
enemy
noun
en·e·my
ˈen-ə-mē 
plural enemies
1
: one that tries to hurt or overthrow or that seeks the failure of another
2
: something that harms
3
a
: a nation with which a country is at war
b
: a military force or a person belonging to such a nation
Etymology
Middle English enemi "enemy," from early French enemi (same meaning), from Latin inimicus (same meaning), from in- "not" and amicus "friend"
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