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
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Apr. 2026
How an aircraft loss is detected The crash of a military aircraft can be detected by loss of radio communication and radar contact or by visual verification by nearby aircraft.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
What this entailed was gaining as much reliable information about the Soviet military as possible while stumping for an open skies policy that would allow overflights by both sides of the other's territory to prevent accidental war.
—David Szondy
march 29, New Atlas, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for military
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
The Churchill Suite peers over the Ministry of Defence (where Henry VIII’s wine cellar still lurks) and was the locus of military strategising.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Apr. 2026
How an aircraft loss is detected The crash of a military aircraft can be detected by loss of radio communication and radar contact or by visual verification by nearby aircraft.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
Noun
Chalker told me that his consulting firm, Global Risk Advisors, had once employed nearly two hundred people, almost all of them former military and intelligence officers.
—David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
What this entailed was gaining as much reliable information about the Soviet military as possible while stumping for an open skies policy that would allow overflights by both sides of the other's territory to prevent accidental war.
—David Szondy
march 29, New Atlas, 29 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 5 Apr. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
