armed forces

plural noun

: the combined military, naval, and air forces of a nation

called also armed services

Synonyms of armed forces

• troops
• soldiers

Examples of armed forces in a Sentence

our nation's armed forces are stationed throughout the world

Recent Examples on the Web

These changes should be combined with a broader upgrading of Taiwan’s armed forces’ network of sensors, communications tools, drones, and missiles. — Holmes Liao, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2026

Yet according to Professor Miri Shefer-Mossensohn, head of the Program in Ottoman and Turkish Studies at Tel Aviv University, Israel’s security concerns in Syria are not focused on Syria’s own armed forces. — Shoshanna Solomon, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Sep. 2026

The country's armed forces said that it was targeted by a missile attack that originated from Iranian territory. — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026

The Iranian armed forces said those attacks against sites on Larak Island in the strait killed military personnel and civilians. — Jane Arraf, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1572, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for armed forces

• reinforces
• watercourses
• courses
• horses
• sources
• discourses
• divorces
• endorses
• enforces
• indorses
• racehorses
• workforces

Kids Definition

armed forces

plural noun

: the military, naval, and air forces of a nation