active duty
noun
: employment as a full-time member of the military
After two years of active duty she entered the reserves.
Examples of active duty in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Pentagon is conducting a review of misconduct allegations against Kelly to determine whether he should be recalled to active duty to face court-martial proceedings.
—
Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
Camp Lejeune has 38,778 active duty personnel and covers 153,439 acres near Jacksonville.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 17 Jan. 2026
The service now has around 41,000 active duty members.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 16 Jan. 2026
Admission is $5; free for kids 15 and younger (cash only); free for active duty military with ID.
—Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for active duty
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.
Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
Camp Lejeune has 38,778 active duty personnel and covers 153,439 acres near Jacksonville.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 17 Jan. 2026
The service now has around 41,000 active duty members.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 16 Jan. 2026
Admission is $5; free for kids 15 and younger (cash only); free for active duty military with ID.
—Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for active duty
Cite this Entry
“Active duty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/active%20duty. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
