armed forces
plural noun
: the combined military, naval, and air forces of a nation
called also armed services
Examples of armed forces in a Sentence
our nation's armed forces are stationed throughout the world
Recent Examples on the Web
His longevity reflects his central role in ensuring the loyalty of the armed forces during years of political crisis, mass protests, international sanctions and economic collapse.
—
Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
Last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that Russia is worried about NATO’s activities in the Arctic and will respond by strengthening the capability of its armed forces there.
—Danica Kirka, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
This past weekend, Shirley and a host of other right-wing independent-media accounts shared images that allegedly showed Venezuelans in the streets celebrating the capture of President Nicolás Maduro by American armed forces.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2026
An earlier draft of a peace plan, which emerged in November and was criticized as being heavily favorable to Moscow, sought to cap Ukraine’s armed forces at 600,000 personnel.
—Melissa Bell, CNN Money, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for armed forces
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.
Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
Last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that Russia is worried about NATO’s activities in the Arctic and will respond by strengthening the capability of its armed forces there.
—Danica Kirka, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
This past weekend, Shirley and a host of other right-wing independent-media accounts shared images that allegedly showed Venezuelans in the streets celebrating the capture of President Nicolás Maduro by American armed forces.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2026
An earlier draft of a peace plan, which emerged in November and was criticized as being heavily favorable to Moscow, sought to cap Ukraine’s armed forces at 600,000 personnel.
—Melissa Bell, CNN Money, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for armed forces
Cite this Entry
“Armed forces.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/armed%20forces. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share